Overlord Volume 14 The Last Wolf
by Lighnovelfan
Summary: What happens if the almighty Overlord encounters a lonely, sad but powerful warrior that struggles to find a place in this hostile and racist world for himself to live a peaceful life.
1. Authors Note

What happens if the almighty Overlord encounters a lonely, sad but powerful warrior that struggles to find a place in this hostile and racist world for him to live a peaceful life?

Since I am a huge fan of the Witcher series (both the games and the books) by Andrzey Sapkowski, I decided to borrow some inspiration of his work and put it into another one of my favorite series, Overlord by Kugane Maruyama.

The new characters are loosely based on characters of the Witcher series. This will not be a crossover; I just borrow some inspirations and lore of the Witcher universe. I do not own Overlord or Witcher.

This story takes place right after the events of the Holy Kingdom arc.

Since I am not a native speaker I apologize in advance for mistakes and weird sentences. Feel free to correct me.

I try to update the story every Sunday.

I Hope you will enjoy reading my first story.


	2. Prologue

In the middle of the night a group of 5 riders, clad in dark robes, was passing through a forest, whose trees were so dense that not even in the middle of the day a single sun ray would touch the ground. The person riding on the tip was a man, maybe 40 years old, with a stern face, carrying a bow on his back.

"At this pace we should be back at the capital in around 10 days."

The second rider, a man in his mid-twenties addressed the leader.

"As soon as we get out of this damn forest, we have to find a place to restock our provisions. We couldn´t take everything with us when we had to retreat."

Added the fourth rider, a woman also in her mid-twenties. She was equipped with several daggers on her belt.

"I wish we could take the usual route, so we did not have to worry about supplies."

Said the second rider.

"If you really want to, go on. I don´t want to get any closer to this godforsaken place than absolutely necessary."

The response of the fifth rider was harsh. He was a bulky man with many burn scars on his face, so his age wasn´t quite clear. The sword he wielded hung on the horses' saddle.

"Me neither, just saying I wish the useless soldiers of the Re-Estize kingdom were not so... well useless. That way, they would not have lost their city to that monster."

"There was nothing they could have done. If you want to curse somebody, curse the traitors of the Empire that allied themselves with that monster."

The woman, now with her hood put down, defended them while putting a strand of blond hair aside that fell into her face.

"Enough with the idle chat, we are still inside enemy territory. Pay a little bit more attention to your surroundings. The border to the council state is close. We could encounter them at any moment. Show some dignity as members of the Holocaust Scripture."

The man at the tip, apparently their leader, disciplined his subordinates without turning around.

After that the group continued their journey in silence for about 20 minutes. Then, without any warning the third rider, a young man around 18 or 19 shouted.

"That was a mistake. We should not have withdrawn. Captain, why did you order us to retreat? We should have pressed the attack to kill the other thing, but you let it escape."

While venting his anger, the man directed his horse next to the captain at the front.

"There was no other option, we only expected one, but not two. We could not have killed the second one and survived. We accomplished our mission to kill the abomination so there was no reason for unnecessary risks."

"Captain That´s unacceptable. It is our holy duty to exterminate pests like these. Letting it escape just for safety comes close to blasphemy."

"Vice-captain, you better watch your mouth."

The captain, emphasizing the young man´s lower rank, admonished him.

"There´s a right time and place for everything, but fighting him today and at his terrain was definitely not right. So, calm down."

"Just because you are afraid of it does not mean..."

"Shut up you fool"

The captain, clearly enraged, grabbed the vice-captain by his collar and pulled him closer to him, revealing his short blond hair and blue eyes

"We ambushed him, outnumbered him eight to one and used some of the artifacts and look what he did to us".

He pointed at the sixth horse, not mounted by a rider, but packed with 3 body-sized bags.

"It took us nearly one month to set up this trap and it was successful. Yet he still managed to kill three of our comrades, while heavily wounded and poisoned. On top of that, the one we killed was pretty old and weakened. The other one was young and at full strength. When you think you can take it on, knock yourself out and go back. I will report we could not retrieve your body when we get back."

The young man, now clearly pale faced gulped loudly, then averted his eyes.

"Thought so."

The Captain let go of him and locked back at the path.

The other three riders fell a little bit back when their two superiors started arguing. They whispered, clearly uncomfortable with this situation.

"I know vice-captain Agurun is said to be a protégée, for which reason the cardinal pressed for his promotion to vice-captain, but I think this is getting to his head."

Said the woman.

"I have not seen much of protégée during the fight, he has no talent for coordinated attacks or teamwork. His stealth talents are not that good either, I wonder what the cardinal sees in him. I suspect he got his advantageous treatment by connections, rather than his abilities."

Responded the young man.

"It is not up to us to doubt the decisions made by the cardinals. It is our duty to carry out orders."

Said the scarred man while signaling his comrades to tone down a little.

"Come on Sleagar, were you not the one who called him a snot nosed brat without any experience and an ego as big as the central cathedral?"

"I was drunk and you know it, Iota."

The woman responded snickering

"Yes, but you never deny that statement when we ask."

"Hmm"

"Well, seems like they settled their argument. We should catch up to them and hurry back to the capital. Hopefully they can resurrect those three without problems. We are not up for any big missions while undermanned."

With this sentence, the young man interrupted the little quarrel his comrades had.

"I worry more about the time we get to retrain. I heard they already plan to send us to the Elven Kingdom as soon as possible."

The woman expressed her worries.

"Uh, not again. I am so sick of this place. I wish the higher ups would finally make up their mind about them."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they should settle this matter once and for all. Make up with them or finally wage full-fledged war. I am OK with either of them. But this permanent skirmish really strains the nerves of everyone involved."

After the group continued their trip for nearly 4 more hours, they got to the edge of the forest and saw the first light of dawn at the horizon, dying the sky deep red.

"I don´t like a blood sky"

Muttered the young man.

"Do you really believe in that nonsense?"

Asked Iota mockingly.

"My Grandmother used to tell me that the day that begins with a deep red sky is destined to be a bad one, for as long as I can remember."

Little did he know that his grandmother should be proven right in this case.


	3. Chapter 1 Fairy Tales Part 1

In the depths of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, on the tenth level in the throne room, Ainz sat on a throne made of black crystal, which seemed to be as tall as the ceiling is high. His polished skull was practically glowing in the dim light of the chandeliers, which hang from the ceiling. Behind him was a dark, obsidian colored halo, further emphasizing his divinity. For his allies he might be a god, but for his enemies he was the cruel master of death, able to destroy them and everything they love. Before him kneeling on the ground were his trusted guardians, except for Cocytus, who was busy expanding the lizardmen village, and Gargantua, who was a mindless golem and not fit for these kinds of gatherings. None of the guardians was even to move as much as a muscle, before given the permission by their supreme being, their king, their god, Ainz Ooal Gown. This was not only a trivial gathering. It was a display of loyalty. The guardians were devoting themselves to their master. Even though, they were all infinite loyal to all the denizens of Nazarick, they were also competing with each other. They were competing with each other, for the only thing that mattered to them. That was the goodwill of Ainz Ooal Gown. After a decent amount of time Ainz broke the silence.

"Well then my guardians, with this I declare this part of mission in the Holy Kingdom a success and I thank every single one of you for your hard work."

With this all the guardians rose as one, wearing a delighted smile for being praised by Ainz. For them, serving Ainz was their sole purpose of existence. Being praised by him was equivalent to the biggest imaginable reward. Especially Shalltear and Albedo had a hard time to contain their joy. It was not like the other guardians were less happy over the praise. They simply had another motive behind their actions. They wanted to please their master not only as guardians, but also as women.

"Now, Demiurge. I must thank you for excellent acting and the perfect planning and execution of your scheme."

Demiurge, pushing up his glasses, answered

"I´m very grateful for your praise, but I don´t think I deserve it. After all, even after you told me you would implant some mistakes for me to adapt, I could not even imagine you would improve the plan by that magnitude."

"You flatter me too much. I did really intend to implant some mistakes. The way it played out at the end was all thanks to your doing."

"I can imagine by your perspective even this improved version of my plan is still full of mistakes. I am really grateful for being able to look at true genius at work."

Ainz, deciding not to press his luck anymore, let it go.

"Since you even went out of your way to create a new opportunity to even accelerate our subjugation plans for the Re-Estize Kingdom it would be an utter insult to call it anything else as unfathomable."

"Huuh?"

All the guardians, except for Albedo, and even Ainz himself let out a noise of surprise.

"Is something the matter, Lord Ainz?"

Albedo asked worried.

"N-no no. But it seems the other guardians couldn´t quite follow Demiurge. But you seem to grasp it. So please explain it to them." Ainz, wondering what his great plan was supposed to be, tried to save himself with the usual method of "I allow you to explain it to the others".

"Of course."

Albedo responded while bowing.

"After Lord Ainz ordered us to pretend he died in battle with Jaldabaoth we began spreading some subtle rumors of his death to some carefully selected targets. They will most probably try to seize this opportunity for their own gains. It does not matter if they try to get money or even try to attack the Sorcerer Kingdom in the absence of Ainz-sama. Once they swallowed the bait and hook, we can strike without mercy. That way we can lure out all traitors and enemies at once. Without this action it would take several months to years to lure them out."

"Aaah"

"As expected of Lord Ainz."

"How amazing"

"Yrev evisserpmi." (Very impressive.)

(What are they talking about? When I told Albedo and Demiurge that they should pretend my death, I simply wanted to test them, if they could still uphold coordination if should ever be absent. How did it come to this now?)

"Now that Lord Ainz provided such a wonderful opportunity we mustn´t let it go to waste."

Shalltear, having some troubles to wrap her head around it asked

"I still don´t really get it. I get that Lord Ainz wants to conquer the world, but why all these schemes and complicated conspiracies when we could simply crush those insects with overwhelming power."

"Well, well, seems like this is a little too big for a child like you Shalltear. Maybe you should step back and let the adults handle the important stuff."

Albedo said mockingly, while emphasizing her breasts with her crossed arms.

"Did you say something, you fat gorilla? Maybe you should step back and rest since old hags like you need a lot of sleep."

"Who do you call an old hag you little runt?"

"Nwod mlac. Gnihctaw si Znia Drol." (Calm down. Lord Ainz is watching.)

Both women apologized profusely.

"Have I your permission to explain?" Demiurge asked Lord Ainz, who was nodding as if to say "Go on."

"Well, there are two reasons for this approach on world domination. The first reason is to make sure an incident like your brainwashing can never occur again, Shalltear"

"Gng"

Shalltear gnashed her teeth, remembering the most shameful moment in her entire life.

"The second reason is for his amusement."

Shalltear tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

"When you command such boundless intellect and power like our master it is absolutely normal to experience some kind of boredom. So, he decided to give himself a big handicap, by not using all of his might. After all, it is not a very fun game if the opponent isn´t able to struggle a little bit."

"So, he decided to limit himself in order to see the futile resistance of these worlds' inhabitants?"

Instead of answering a malicious smile appeared on Demiurge´s face.

Ainz, still sitting on his throne, was mentally sweating. (What?)

"So, in order to carry out the plan as intended, how much time do you think Lord Ainz should avoid the public, Demiurge?" Albedo asked carrying her usual gentle smile.

"I already ordered the Eight Fingers to spread an appropriate amount of contradicting false information."

"Why does the information need to contradict each other? Wouldn´t it be more effective, if the information were clear?" It was again Shalltear, asking for clarification.

(I wanted to ask that, too.) Ainz wondered in silence.

"If the information is too clear and easy to access, the humans will smell something is fishy about it. They have to think that they know something we don´t want them to know. Humans tend to feel smarter than they actually are and when they think they discovered a secret; they will feel superior and become careless. At the same time, we must avoid any turmoil in our own territory. I also made sure our ally dispels all suspicions and distrust in the sources."

Ainz wasn´t sure, who Demiurge was talking about. Demiurge mentioned this ally a few times, but never explicitly said who he was. He had to make sure not to harm this ally.

"Our ally... is that person trustworthy enough?"

"Absolutely my Lord. I made sure to choose a suitable pawn for our actions. The deal we made costs us nothing and bears no risks for us. It is also extremely valuable, but at the same time life devastating in case of betrayal for the other party."

"I see, please excuse me. My questions were not meant to offend you. I trust your judgment, Demiurge." Seeming that it was impossible for Ainz to get any more information about that ally, without risking blowing his cover, he decided to stop asking questions.

"Not at all, my Lord. You do right in questioning your unworthy subordinates."

"No Demiurge. Please don´t lower yourself so much. You do exceptional work and your results speak for themselves."

Demiurge lowered his head as he bowed, trying to hide his face, as his smile was now absent of any malice, instead it was a truly happy and grateful smile after receiving his masters praise.

For the guardians, Ainz Ooal Gown was far more than a king, or their master. For them, he was their god. The leader of their creators was the highest imaginable existence at all. Serving him was their only reason to exist. They would happily throw away their lives to please him. Getting recognition for their work was the biggest joy they could hope for.

From the position he was sitting, Ainz couldn´t see his face, but standing right next to him, Albedo could. As her usual gentle and calm expression seemed very tense at the moment, she tried very hard to conceal her jealousy as she spoke out to Ainz "As it takes several weeks to thoroughly spread the rumors of your demise, I would suggest to avoid the public and stay within Nazarick. I will naturally stay by your side all the time; in case you need something." The thought of staying close to the man she loved from the bottom of her heart for several weeks was filling her whole body with joy, so much that she couldn´t prevent her wings from trembling.

"So, how long do you think would be appropriate?"

"In order to ensure the success of your masterfully laid trap, I think 3 months should be enough."

Ainz nodded in approval before

"So, we will wait for them to finish the noose around their necks and watch as they try to struggle. Nobody who tries to go against Nazarick shall go unpunished. They will learn how we deal with traitors."

"Everything shall happen as you desire, your Majesty. They will face utter despair and the worst fate imaginable."

The Guardians joyed in cheer and Ainz returned to his room via teleport.

Ainz, mentally exhausted, fell on his bed and sighed in exhaustion. He could only do this, because he forbade everyone to enter his room when he is inside.

"3 months? I have to stay put for 3 months? What am I supposed to do? If I have to endure this for so long, I might as well go mad."

As Ainz buried his head in his pillow, he once again noticed the pleasant fragrance.

"There it is again. I wonder what this smell is. I have to remember to ask the maids, if this is a normal treatment for a noble's bed. But why does it seem so familiar? I am 100 percent sure I have smelled it somewhere else, but I can´t remember where."

Back in the throne room the Guardians were still talking about how great their master is. Especially Albedo and Demiurge were debating over the events that were to be unfolding in the near future.

"And to think my original plan would have taken 2 years to accomplish that. Every time I think I came up with a decent plan, our master shows me, how casually he can come up with a plan ten times better than mine."

"It is a foolish act to try and understand Lord Ainz. Our best hope is to follow his wishes as best as possible and try to keep up with him. Failure is an unforgivable sin."

"It is as you say. Our current objective is to deal with these ungrateful vermin as quickly as possible, so our master can finally move on to more meaningful topics."

"I simply can´t understand this worthless lower life-form, Demiurge. Instead of being grateful for him gracing this world with his presence, they try to conspire against him."

"Indeed. If I were them, I would be happy to bow to his greatness. Ainz-sama on the other hand shows so much mercy and patience to them, even giving them the chance to prove their faith and loyalty by pretending to be absent."

"Listen to me, guardians. All these sinners shall be punished for their crime. All those who dare to go against Lord Ainz shall know true despair and hell. Without any doubt, this world and all its residents will bow to the Overlord."

After these words of motivation all the guardians began cheering loudly to point out their agreement and eagerness.


	4. Chapter 1 Fairy Tales Part 2

The desk Ainz was sitting on is filled with huge piles of documents, scrolls, books and reports of several of the newly developed farming villages, as well as a huge variety of feathers, ink jars and stamps. While looking at the mass of office work waiting for him today, Ainz couldn´t help but sigh, even though he had no need to breath and had no respiratory system at all. As he tried to muster up the motivation to get himself to work on this mess, he saw Vier, the homunculus maid that was assigned to him for the day move in the corner of his eye. Every time he barely moved the maid would jump into action, as if jolted by lightning. For Ainz this was so tiring, because he had to watch his every move and action.

While rereading the same line on the document he was holding for the fifth time Ainz thought (I get the meaning of every word on his own, but when I try to connect them it sounds like total gibberish.)

The maximum volume of agricultural products according to minimal deployment of nutrition...

Once again Ainz was unable to grasp the content of the text in front of him. As he looked through the window and saw the growing city of E-Rantel his inner thoughts continued.

(It must be around six weeks. But when Demiurge told me how delighted he was by my plan to lure out possible traitors and enemies, I could not tell him the truth. Now I am stuck here with no excuse to ditch the paper work. It is amazing how much piled up during my visit in the Holy Kingdom. Six weeks and I barely managed to do half of it. I get more and more respect for the higher ups in my previous life, as I learn how much they really had to work for their money. Is it too late to think of a vacation system for managers? I wonder if there are some tropical islands on this world, I could build a summer house on? Or maybe even a whole vacation destination. Would an improvement of tourism be feasible? I don´t think the people of this world have a concept of vacation, except for maybe nobility. But wouldn´t it be helpful to improve the living standards of my citizens? It would open up new possible ways of income, but before the common people could enjoy something like this, I would have to make it possible to leave work for a few days and still have enough to live on. Merchants could close their shops for a few days without bigger problems but farmers could not. They need to tend their livestock and crops nearly permanently, otherwise they would die and the farmer soon after.)

"Is something the matter, Lord Ainz?"

As Vier interrupted his day-dreaming, he became aware of, that he stared at the wall for several seconds.

"N-no, I was just thinking about the development of remote areas."

Without lying, Ainz concealed his primary goal of fleeing his workload.

"Please excuse my impertinence to disrupt your thoughts."

While apologizing Vier bowed down as if she was ashamed to look at him.

"I do not mind; it was nothing special I was thinking of."

Again, the room was filled with the sound of rustling paper. Back in his thoughts, Ainz was beginning to think

(I wish I could just run away from this. Albedo and Demiurge are much more suitable for this kind of work anyway. Is there a way to escape from all this paper work? No, I should not do such a thing. I don´t want to be the kind of boss that dumps all their work on their subordinates and reap all the benefits. I have to be a good example for all.)

After a few more minutes somebody knocked at the door. Vier hurried to answer the door.

"Milord, Pandoras Actor wishes to give his report about the current situation in E-Rantel and its surroundings."

"Ah, yes. Please guide him in."

As soon as the Doppelganger entered the room, he slammed his heels together and saluted in an overwhelming exaggerated way.

"Greetings my lord. I wish to give my report on my given task."

His voice was clearly louder than necessary.

Ainz, again grateful that his skinless face could not turn deep red in embarrassment, nodded and asked him to sit down.

Pandoras Actor grabbed a chair and sat down right at the edge of the desk Ainz was sitting on. He leaned over and their faces were only a few centimeters apart. Ainz, trying to maintain a comfortable distance leaned back in his chair and asked

"So, has anything noteworthy happened?"

"So far everything is according to your satisfaction. Even though, some citizens began to feel a little uneasy. Several people have come to me to ask about the rumors about your demise. I reassured them that all of these rumors are baseless and that they should not pay attention to them, but some of them begin to worry about the cities future."

"It can´t be helped. For the plan to work, I have to stay hidden for a few more weeks."

"In my opinion this is a good sign"

"You think so?"

Ainz said in a very calm manner.

"Yes, it seems the people of this world finally started to recognize your greatness and begin to appreciate to be ruled by such a superior and worthy existence such as yourself. They get to know the joy and honor of staying in the presence of a Supreme Being."

During the last words Pandoras Actor stood up, placed his left hand on his chest and raised his right hand in an exaggerated manner, again, turning up the volume of his speech.

Vier nodded in approval. She was standing in the corner of the room to not get in their way.

Ainz covered his face with the palm of his hand.

(For the mercy of the lord, please don´t show everyone how mortifying my past is. I just want to hide in a hole.)

It took a few seconds for his emotional damper to kick in, but as soon as looked back up and saw Pandoras Actor still posing, he immediately felt the shame again. This repeated itself three times, until Ainz regained his composure and the conversation resumed.

"It is good to see, that they get accustomed to being ruled by me. You said they start to feel uneasy. Is there a chance, the situation might get worse, so that I have to take action?"

"I don´t think so. So far it is not more than a feeling of doubt. When the rumors first started, many began to look at the patrolling Death Knights with worry, but since they are still fulfilling their duty and don´t go on a rampage, they feel better. It should be no problem to maintain the order for a few more months even without you showing yourself."

"After this is over, I have to make sure to show a little token of gratitude to them, after all, loyalty should be rewarded. "

In that moment, Ainz got a brilliant idea.

"That reminds me of something. The work you have done must be rewarded as well. A little while ago you said you wanted to spend more time in the treasure chamber. I think this is a good time for you to take a day off."

"As much as I would appreciate it, I have to decline. How could I take a day off, when there is so much to do?"

"It is important to rest once in a while."

"But what will happen to my duty of posing as Momon?"

"This problem can be easily solved... I´ll do it."

Indignantly Pandoras Actor shouted

"How could I possibly rest, while dumping my work on my lord? I would never commit such blasphemy."

(Please, don´t make it so hard for me. I just want a reason to escape my office and take a walk in the city. What do I do? Seems like I have to play my trump card)

"Everybody who works hard for the sake of the Sorcerer Kingdom deserves a reward. This is especially true for all residents of Nazarick. If you work too hard, that could have negative effects on your health. After all I want to see all my children grow up healthy and happy. Do I have to order you to rest?"

What followed were several seconds of silence. Then suddenly, Pandoras Actor began crying like a child, who got his candy stolen.

"To think that our supreme ruler is such a merciful and caring person... There are no words to describe such happiness."

Ainz was clearly taken by surprise by this sudden outburst. He was shocked by this picture. Because Pandoras Actor had no eyes or other facial features, he crying looked like a leaking water balloon. Helpless he looked to Vier, but noticing she was also shedding tears of joy, he had no other choice but to give them a few minutes to pull them together.

(I knew Pandoras Actor is a little over dramatic, but is this really a reason to be that happy about?)

Clearing his nonexistent throat audible, Ainz tried to pull the guardian back to reality, as he was still mumbling about how magnanimous Ainz was.

"Ahem... I think you understood now, so please go back to Nazarick and rest well."

"At once, I will clearly show respect to your wishes and rest with everything I got. Please forgive me for not noticing your true intentions right away. I am not worthy of your grace."

Again, Ainz was not sure if the Doppelganger was really grasping what he meant, as he saw him saluting energetically while proclaiming to give everything while resting.

(Well, as long as he rests and I can get out of the office, I think it will be OK)

"As long as you understand it will be fine. Now please enjoy your time in the treasury."

Again, Pandoras Actor slammed his heels together, turned around and marched out of the room.

While sighing in relief, despite not having any lunges, Ainz began to wonder, what he was thinking, when he created him.

It was a sunny day in the capital of the Sorcerer Kingdom, E-Rantel. The cold of the winter season could be barely remembered and everybody seems to get busy. The adventurers were getting to leave their winter quarters in the local taverns, so they were busy purchasing everything necessary for their upcoming travels. Potions, general first aid material like bandages, rations, weapons and equipment for their maintenance and many more things were sold everywhere. Among this crowd, one adventurer was special. He wore black full plate armor and two giant swords on his back. The crimson cape on his back fluttered in spring wind. Everyone on the market square was aware of his presence. Some stepped aside to give him room to walk, some went up to him to talk to him or simply be near him. What they all had in common was the respect and admiration for the black hero. He gave them a feeling of security. What nobody knew, this hero was actually the undead Ainz, whom they were all afraid of.

(What a nice day. Has the sky always been so blue, or is it just me? Maybe I have been holed up in my office for too long. It is so nice to be finally able to breathe freely again, even though I don´t breathe.)

Being free of the burden made him feel relaxed for the first time in weeks. He was free of his dark and gloomy office, the overwhelming amount of paper work and the mental pressure of being watched permanently by one of the maids, Knowing, that he could not run away forever, Ainz enjoyed every second of it. He visibly took his time strolling around the market, visiting the guild master for a quick chat on the progress of the labyrinth being build outside the city and going to newly developed demi-human district of the city. Seeing all the different species, including some of the newly inquired citizens he got while freeing, and technically occupying the Abelion Hills, made Ainz´s collector mind very happy.

(I am always amazed to see how many different species there are in this world. Some of them are very similar to the creatures of Yggdrasil, but others are totally different. Have they similar to those in Yggdrasil always been here, or have they also been transported here? If that is the case, are the different ones native to this world, or have they come from another world?)

While he let his mind wander a while like that, Ainz found himself in front of one of the slightly inferior bars of the city, The fermented Apple. Inferior only in comparison to the rest of E-Rantel, since the city had greatly improved since Ainz took it over. For outsiders, it might have been a middle-class inn. The people that came here were workers or farmers of the near vicinity. As its name suggested, it mainly served products made of apples, such as ciders, apple flavored spirits and on so on.

(I still wonder, if there are differences between the taste of things here and in my old world. Not that I have ever eaten a real apple, only synthetic apple flavor. Blue Planet always said that nothing beats the taste of natural products. I wonder if he knew that, or simply wanted to believe that. It is a shame I can´t taste anything. That is one of the many downsides of having an undead body.)

Ainz sighed again in frustration and wanted to continue his journey, when he heard loud voices shouting in the bar. Getting curios of what this commotion is about, he decided to get a little closer and started listening.

"Please, quit your nonsense."

"I tell you. They will come for your families and then you will remember my words."

"Quit shouting, or I will kick you out."

"Why? I am only trying to save you all."

"OK, I think that you had enough."

"I know when it is enough."

"Here goes the old man again. So, how many times have we all heard his rambling?"

"I have heard it seven times."

"Only seven? I heard it at least a dozen times."

"Come on, old man. At least come up with a new story every once in a while."

Some of the men in the bar were rather amused over the clearly drunken old man. When Ainz looked through the window, he saw a rather thin old man, maybe in his mid-fifties. The bartender was standing right next to him, trying to keep him from falling. The old man's face was deep red, whether from alcohol or anger.

"You better get home, before you cause any more trouble."

"Are there any problems here?" Ainz said as he entered the bar.

"Wow, it´s Momon."

"Momon is here."

"That´s so cool."

"Welcome to our establishment, Momon-sama. No, there are no problems, just the old Jezaya here, getting drunk again and annoy everybody with his fairy tales."

"I tell you, they are no fairy tales. The Witchers are real and they will come for you and your families."

"What are Witchers?"

Momon asked slightly puzzled.

"I forgot. You are not from here, right? Do they not tell this story to scare little kids where you come from?"

"No, I have never heard of them. Would you like to tell me?"

"Oh please, don´t encourage him."

"Finally, somebody will listen to my warnings."

"But before you start, maybe you should drink a glass of water and sober up a little bit. We don´t want you to get your story wrong."

"You might be right."

After one hour of throwing up and a few glasses of water, the old man Jezaya was clear enough to apologize to the bartender for the trouble he caused. But it seemed he was used to it, so it was no big deal for him. After that, he sat down on a table with Momon and began the story.

"It happened when I was like 5 years old. My family used to live farther up in the north. In this region many wild beasts and monsters roamed around and because the next branch of the adventurer guild was far away, we had a hard time protecting our farms and cattle. One day, a man came to our village who offered to kill the monsters if we paid him. He was wearing a hooded robe, so we assumed he must have been an adventurer or a traveling magic caster. Of course, the village elders agreed, thinking their problems would be solved soon. So, they agreed to pay him by the number of monsters he killed. He was gone for nearly 3 weeks. Everybody thought he was either dead or ran away. So, everybody was stunned when he returned. He carried 3 big bags full of trophies of Trolls, Ogres and Goblins. Needless to say, nobody expected him to return with that amount of monster corpses. Some accused him of having brought the trophies with him only to scam poor people. We were only a poor farming village, so there was no way the elders could manage to pay him. He was clearly angry at us. When they tried to explain their situation and hoped to come to an agreement with him, he took of his hood for the first time. At first, I didn´t know why everybody was so shocked. The man said in a cold and emotionless voice, that they better pay him, what he was owed, or he would find another way of payment. When he looked around the people gathered in the village, I saw his eyes. At that moment I felt my blood freeze. Those weren´t the eyes of a human. Those were the eyes of a monster."

"How so?"

"At first, his pupils were not like any humans. They were slit-like, similar to cats. And the expression in those eyes. Have you ever seen a cat playing with a rat, still not sure if to kill it right away or torture it some more? That was the exact expression his eyes had. No warmth or compassion. I was so terrified I could not move. All the stories my mother told me about these creatures came back to my mind. That they kill without any remorse, that they are in league with monsters and practice dark magical rituals on little children they kidnap, to turn them into their kind. The man then said that he would take food and other things in exchange for money. One of the village-men tried to appeal to his emotions and touched his arm. Before he could even blink the man punched him in the face and knocked him out. Another man pointed the pitchfork he was holding on him, probably out of fear. The man drew his sword and said he would kill anybody who dared to come at him. That is when all hell broke loose. In a matter of seconds, the man has killed nearly a dozen villagers, without even getting out of breath. When the village elder fell to the ground in shock, the man closed in on him and demanded to get his money, otherwise he would take what he was owed. He took the money and everything else of value and left without another word. The scene of that day hunts me till today. There was blood everywhere. I still wake up, seeing his runic blade cutting down my neighbors."

After listening to his story, Ainz remained silent. He was thinking over the details. Then he asked

"So, these Witchers seem to be rather strong fighters, I wonder how strong they really are? Killing that many monsters alone is pretty impressive. I would love to test their strength against mine."

"That´s Momon for you. Not being afraid of them and even seeking out to challenge them. If you really want to meet them, you would have to look for their hidden fortress."

"A hidden fortress?"

Now Ainz curiosity was finally triggered. A group of strong fighters, gathering in a secret place, going out to hunt monsters, were they connected to Yggdrasil in any way? That fortress could be a guild base. Maybe they have some connections to Players who have come earlier.

"Yes, it is said that it is built somewhere in the mountains, far up in the north. It should be at the border to the council state. Rumors say, the Witchers made a deal with the dragon lords and were allowed to build it there, roughly 500 years ago."

"They were allowed to?"

"Yes, it seems they became their subordinates."

Slightly disappointed, Ainz sighed. No Player would need to ask for permission. And if they build their fortress, it means it didn´t come here like Nazarick. Just before Ainz became disinterested, he remembered a little detail Jezaya mentioned.

"You said, they turn human children into their kind, but aren´t they human?"

"No, they are something different. All of them have been human at one point in their life, but they went through an old ritual, that changes them. They get stronger and faster, but they become cold-blooded killers."

(Is this some kind of race change? This is the first time I heard of something like this, since coming to this world. Do they have a way to transform humans?)

"What can you tell me about that ritual?"

"Not much, I fear. Rumors and myths, that reach back nearly 1000 years, tell of their dark magical arts, but nothing definite."

"Dark magical arts? So, they don´t use Tier magic?"

"No, they use the old magic."

The gears in Ainz head began spinning. There was a group of powerful individuals that had a way of race changing unique to this world, which implemented the very much unknown wild magic. They had a hidden fortress somewhere in the mountains. They clearly had connections to the dragon lords, which could be seen as the most powerful beings native to this world. Furthermore, they have a history, which could reach back up to 1000 years back. The sheer amount of information that could be hidden in their base was immense.

"Weird, I have never heard these stories before."

"It´s not that weird. The last time they were seen, was decades ago. Nowadays they are just ghost stories to scare children, and nearly everybody doubt they ever existed. But I keep telling you they are real."

The last sentence was spoken several times louder, addressed to all people present. All of them just shrugged it off, as an old man rambling.

"Well, in any case, I thank you for listening to me."

"No, I have to thank you. That story was actually quite interesting. Please take care of yourself. And please, take it slow with the alcohol from now on."

"Yes. I´m sorry for troubling you."

Ainz patted the man on the shoulder, before he left. Once outside, Ainz made a decision.

(It seems I found out something interesting. Investigating that topic some more might prove to be useful. But if everything that is known about them is rumors and myths, how can I get my hands on some trustworthy information? I don´t really want to ask Fluder. If he decides to tag along, he would keep begging me to teach him. I´m glad he is still busy with the book I gave him. Jezaya mentioned him carrying a runic sword. Maybe the Witchers had some connections to the dwarfs. I wonder, if there are some notes in the books I acquired there. Should I ask Hejinmal, if he ever read something about them? Sounds like a good idea. Weren´t the Witchers supposed to be subordinates of the Dragon lords? Then a dragon should have some information, that aren´t written down anywhere else. Let´s stick with that plan. If it turns out to be insufficient, I can still go and ask Fluder.

The things on the list are now

Find the location of their fortress

Investigate their connection to the Dragon lords or Players

Learn about their race changing method

Learn more about wild magic

Claim their fortress, to further strengthen the Sorcerer Kingdoms defenses


	5. Chapter 1 Fairy Tales Part 3

Right after Ainz returned to his office, he used "Message" to contact Aura.

"What can I do for you, Lord Ainz?"

"I wanted to ask you to send me one of the Frost Dragons we captured last year in the Dwarven Kingdom."

"Of course. I will immediately prepare the strongest of them for you."

"No, I want you to send me Hejinmal."

"The chubby one with the glasses?"

The surprise was clearly noticeable in her voice. The image she had of Hejinmal was questionable, at best. He lived nearly his whole life as a shut-in in the library of the dwarven capital. His appearance made it obvious, that he was not experienced in moving around much. At the time, Ainz visited the Dwarven Kingdom for the first time and went out, to subjugate the Frost Dragons, he was sent out by his father, probably as a sacrificial pawn. The only thing, that has saved his life, was the fact, that he was a coward. He instantly noticed his own weakness and begged for his life.

"Yes, I want to ask him some questions. Tell him to come to the fake Nazarick you build in the forest. I will be there in 2 hours."

"He will be there, even if I have to drag him there personally."

Eager to follow the request, her voice got several times higher than normal. Ainz canceled the message and went back to his office work. He wanted to get something done, before leaving it all to his subordinates.

After the set 2 hours, Ainz used "Greater Teleportation" to meet up at the arranged meeting point. Right after his appearance, he was greeted by a cheerful child voice.

"Welcome, Ainz-sama. I hope you had a nice trip. As you ordered, I brought you the pet you mentioned. I am sorry if he is a little out of breath. We are still in the middle of our cardio training."

She looked at Hejinmal, putting one hand at her whip. The dragon was obviously afraid. He pressed his whole body on the ground, to show respect to his master. Ainz was wondering, if Hejinmal lost weight, since the last time he has seen him. Even though, he could still be considered a little bit overweight, his appearance was now much more dragon-like. Aura must have really trained him hard this past year.

"I am very grateful to be called to be of assistance. I will do my best to be of service to you."

"I want to ask you some questions."

"If it is within my knowledge, I am more than happy to answer those."

"First of all, I want to ask you, what you know about the Witchers."

"Witchers?"

Hejinmal could not hide his confusion. What could he probably know about this fairy tale that could be of use to his master? Surely, Ainz Ooal Gown, an immortal undead of unknown age would know everything of importance in this world. But then again, it was not on him to question his master. The role he had taken on to save his life was that of a slave, or pet as mistress Aura described him.

"Well, they are said to be mythical creatures. Once human they used a not further described ritual to change them into something else. They acquired abilities exclusive to certain heteromorphic species."

"Such as?"

"First, they are said to have very long life-spans. They could life four to five times longer than humans. They were also far stronger and faster. On top of that, they apparently possessed night-vision and a high poison resistance."

"What about their magic abilities?"

"I am very sorry, but I don´t know more, than that they could use some ancient magic."

"Wild magic?"

"That is what it is called nowadays, yes."

"Do you know where their fortress is located?"

"Unfortunately, your servant doesn´t know."

"That´s weird, I heard that they were comrades of the Dragon Lords."

"The Dragon Lords are the strongest and oldest among the dragons. They do not share all their knowledge with regular dragons. I have never met one. Even though, my father was labeled as the white Dragon Lord that was merely a nick-name. He was not a true Dragon Lord."

"So, the True dragon Lords are much stronger than your father, right?"

"Yes."

"It is a shame you did not know their hideout. I thought it would be nice to get a stronghold near the Council State´s border."

"At the Council State´s border?"

"According to rumors, that is where it should be."

"I never heard of a fortress there. However, me and my siblings were told, that there is a place, where we were not allowed to go to. It is off limits. The Dragon Lords personally prohibited any dragon of going there. Otherwise a harsh punishment would be executed on all trespassers."

After hearing that, his curiosity turned up several dozen steps. A place where nobody must go? An area of restricted access? Even dragons were threatened with punishment for entering? That sounded like a dream for somebody who spent most of his life exploring unknown regions with his comrades.

"That sounds promising. Give me the exact location of that area and everything you were told about it. Furthermore, I would like you to collect all the manuscripts you have seen in the dwarven library, that deal with that topic."

"Of course, master. But would you please allow your servant to ask a question?"

"What do you want to ask?"

"Is there a special reason, you are looking into this myth?"

"Of course. Even if 99% of this story are made up and exaggerated, there is still that 1% of truth. That is the part I am interested in. That could be a great opportunity to gain some knowledge. After all, knowledge is power."

Hejinmal broke out in cold sweat as he heard the answer.

(Just how much more power does he need? By now he is the most powerful and frightening being I ever encountered and yet, he is still not satisfied? Does he plan to wage war against each and every one?)

"Thank you, for granting your servants wish. I will do my best, to deliver, what you asked for."

As he said this, he lowered his head to a bow. Right before leaving, Ainz said something that made him shutter in fear.

"I don´t think, I have to tell you, to keep this conversation between us, right?"

In this moment, the tiny red dots in Ainz empty, hollow eye-socks seemed to glow significantly brighter.

His faceless, skinless skull seemed to say "If you spill only one word, you will experience agony that will make jealous of your dead father." Hejinmal frantically shook his head.

"Aura, I would like you, to keep this a secret as well. It is important nobody knows, what I am up to."

"Of course, Ainz-sama."

Aura´s face was shining bright, feeling proud of the task she was entrusted with. She got closer to Ainz and pointed her head to him. It took a moment for Ainz to understand her intentions. After a few short seconds he patted her head. Aura was as happy as a little puppy.

With this, Ainz turned around and used his teleportation spell again. After his view changed back to that of his office, he sat down at his desk and started contemplating over the map, where Hejinmal marked the forbidden area.

(He did not know, where exactly that place is. The area he marked is not that big, but according to the map, the terrain is mostly dense forest and mountains. Apparently, there are no settlements around. The shortest route would be to travel through the Re-Estize Kingdom. There are some roads, but the next village would still be around 4 days away. Teleportation without knowing the exact location would be useless. Looks like I have to search the area for any clues. I need to get the right personal for this, otherwise it could take a few days. I need to take a few Hanzos with me to scout. The expedition to the Dwarven Kingdom really helped Shalltear grow. She and Aura got closer, too. Maybe I should look at this as an opportunity to improve the guardian´s adaptability.

So, who should I choose? Aura and Shalltear have already been on one, so I should not choose them. The other guardians could get jealous. Albedo and Demiurge are too busy with running the government. Victim does not have enough attack power to help in case of emergency. Gargantua on the other hand would be difficult to use in that environment. Cocytus has recently conquered the Toadman Tribe at the lake and is now busy. That leaves Mare. But the problem is, if he is fine with being put in an uncomfortable situation. It might be difficult for him.

No. I must not think like that. He is very reliable and I am pretty sure, it will be good for his development. He did good work in constructing the labyrinth. Furthermore, he has the necessary firepower to overcome most dangers. So, it is decided. The question is, who else should I take with me? If I bring it up to the NPCs, they would insist on taking a few maids with me. But they lack the power to defend themselves. In that case, the Pleiades would be the best choice. I can´t take all of them, since they have other work to do. Yuri runs the orphanage, Lupus is busy in Carne. Narberal has to act as Nabe. At least two of them should stay behind, in case something happens. If we try to get in unnoticed, I should pick Solution. Yes, that sounds like a good choice.

Unfortunately, the both of them are not really fit for normal conversations. Mare is too shy and Solutions personality makes it hard to engage in friendly relationships. Maybe it would be good to take a human of this world with us. From what I heard, they look like humans. I am not really attached to this world's people, but it would be bad for my reputation, if the first person that comes with me dies on the first encounter. So, it would have to be someone capable of defending himself. The adventurers that are currently trained in the guild are not strong enough yet. Ainzach might have enough experience, but he is busy with that many new trainees. I don´t know, if there are any other capable humans.)

While Ainz was contemplating, he noticed some documents on the table. One of them was a report that recently came in, describing the progress of the integration of the new laws in the Baharuth Empire. When he saw the crest of the Bloody Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, Ainz had an idea.

(If I remember correctly, Jircniv had some capable fighters among his underlings. What was their name again? The four Knights? Maybe I could ask him, to lend me one of them? They should be strong enough, not to die immediately, given there is no player around. So, the team for the expedition will be Mare, Solution, a few Hanzos and whoever the Emperor is willing to send.

The only problem that is left, is how to get there. I would have to cross the border of the Kingdom to travel there. Should I ask them for a pass? No, that would probably mess up the plan to stay hidden. In that case, I would have to cross the border in secret. Man. That makes me sound like a criminal. What would be a good disguise? With that many people, we would need at least two carriages. For the sake of keeping a low profile, they should be plain, like the ones merchants use. With normal horses, the journey will take 5-6 days. I have to avoid densely populated regions.)

After drafting the plan in his head, Ainz casted "Message" to contact Mare.

"Mare, I would like you to accompany me on a journey."

"Ahm, eh... of course Lord Ainz. I hope I can keep up to your expectations."

Ainz could hear the nervousness in Mares voice.

"I am sure you are able to. I have great trust in your abilities. Now, give your Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown to Demiurge and meet me at my office in E-Rantel. But before you leave Nazarick, go and tell Solution to come with you, she will also accompany us."

"Yes, Lord Ainz. I will be with you as soon as possible."

Mare's voice was now much more relaxed, after receiving praise from Ainz.

After canceling the spell, Ainz began writing a letter, asking to borrow one of the four knights from Jircniv.

(It seems he did not believe my faked death at all, so it should not be an issue to address him directly. My choice of words should be friendly. I want to show him that there is no need to be afraid of me. I want him to be somewhat closer to me. But on the other hand, it would seem very rude if I lack the necessary respect. I will try to show my generous side by guaranteeing to cover all the costs and ensuring the safety of the knight. )

_To the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix_

_The Sorcerer Kingdom is mounting an exploration of the northern region,_

_near the border of the Argland Council State._

_For that reason, we wish to ask for your assistance in this investigation._

_For the time of the expedition, we would ask you to lend one of the famous Four Knights,_

_who are known for their abilities in combat._

_For the purpose of honoring the vassal contract, we seek a partnership with full cooperation._

_The Sorcerer Kingdom will provide for all necessaries and provisions,_

_as well as cover all costs occurring in the process._

_Of course, the life and safety of your servant are guaranteed._

_The goal of this journey is to secure knowledge on history._

_Your servant will not be forced to take part in any fighting activities._

_The departure will be on the 10th day from today on,_

_so please send your participant as soon as possible._

_We hope this event will prove to be of mutual benefit._

_With all due respect Ainz Ooal Gown, Sorcerer King of the Sorcerer Kingdom_


	6. Chapter 2 Unknown Borders Part 1

The man known as the Bloody Emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, was said to be one of the smartest minds of his era. With his unparalleled intellect, he outwitted all of his opponents. His clever and sometimes cruel schemes reduced the power of the nobles and stripped many of them of their wealth and status. The now vacant positions at his court were filled with capable commoners, who were raised to a status of respect, all thanks to their own abilities. His ruthless behavior and determination earned him his nickname. The smile, he always put up, lured his enemies into a false state of safety. Once they let down their guard around him, he struck them down mercilessly.

Despite his actions and somewhat bad reputation in noble society, he was loved by his people. Part of that was thanks to his inherited good looks. After all, it is easier to admire a good-looking person. The other, bigger part was thanks to his actions. Again and again he proved that he was worthy to have the position of emperor. He greatly improved the living conditions of the common people and was known to value ability more than status.

This young man, justifiable seen as the perfect ruler of a nation, was recently defeated in any way imaginable. The enemy he encountered could not be challenged in any way. Once he visited his nemesis, he saw wealth, military and magic power, the most beautiful women as well as loyalty by his minions beyond imagination. What can you do, when faced with such overwhelming disadvantages? Jircniv took the only possible option. If you can´t defeat him, follow him. This decision saved him and his country. At first, he wanted to use the magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown, to strengthen his power and defeat the Re-Estize Kingdom. He soon learned, just how big his mistake was. The might he commanded was so much higher, it seemed ridiculous. It was not only his magic abilities, but also his fiendish intellect he underestimated.

Nearly a year ago, the Baharuth Empire became a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom. The suppression he feared so much did not come. On the contrary, the condition of the people in his country not only stayed around the same, but his country as a whole was now much safer. To have the immensely powerful Sorcerer King and his army as a protector was the equivalent of being protected by the gods themselves. His own workload reduced, due to giving parts of his work to the Lichs that work as public workers. So far, his decision had only positive effects.

This capable ruler now wore a worried face. A few days ago, he received a letter from his master. The contents of this letter sounded like they were genuinely friendly. It described a promising expedition, to secure wealth and knowledge. But Jircniv knew better. He could read the true meaning in these words. A less intelligent mind would have believed in the mutual benefits. If it were written by anyone else, Jircniv would have thought of how to take advantage of the other person, but not this time. He knew, there was no way to outwit that person.

The only other person in this room was his trusted scribe Loune Vermillion, who delivered this letter to him. He tried to remain calm, but his nervousness could not be hidden. The both of them remained silent for at least ten minutes, until Jircniv broke the silence.

"So, he finally made his move. I knew he was devious, but this is on a whole new level."

"Yes, your majesty. Most times, he is satisfied with sarcasm and hidden threats, but this time, he openly shows his nastiness."

"Every word he used has a special meaning.

A less intelligent person than him might have seen the letter as a genuine and respectful approach. But Jircniv was not such a person. He could be considered as a genius. He could see every nuance and hidden meaning in this message.

"Honoring the vassal contract", my ass. What he really means is "stay quiet and obey". He makes it very clear, who is in charge. And the short amount of time he gives us for preparations. He shows his distrust, preventing us from any further investigation. He only wants one of the knights. He probably plans to extract some information from them. He knows that they are close to me and have access to many secrets. He does not need them for their "abilities in combat". He openly states, that they would not take part in any fights. So, the only reason he wants one of them is for one of his wicked schemes. And the way he does not even try to hide, that he is not dead. He is testing our loyalty. If any rumors were to spread, he knows where the leak is. Can you imagine the consequences of that?"

The nervousness in Loune´s face now turned into fear.

"So, what should we do to prevent the worst?"

Jircniv´s expression on the other hand, now turned into a relaxed smile

"Nothing"

His scribe was now much more confused, than frightened.

"I´m sorry, your majesty, but I don´t think I understand."

"Well, that is easy. We will do exactly as he tells us to do. We will send one of my knights and will be grateful for his intentions. All of his demands will be fulfilled by the word. This way, he will have no reason to hold a grudge against us and will see the value in our loyalty."

"But what of our country´s state secrets? Wouldn´t they be compromised?"

"That is no problem. For quite a while now, Leinas was restricted to any important things. I know, she has been looking for something to offer the Sorcerer King, to get on his good side. So, I made sure, she does not find anything of value. So, if we send her, the Sorcerer King will gain nothing of importance. She will be worthless to him. Knowing that, I doubt she will be able to strike a deal with him"

"But won´t that anger him?"

"I don´t think so. He probably already has a dozen or so different methods of gaining it. This was only a short reminder of his control. I doubt he will care much."

"So, what do you think of the expedition, he is mounting?"

"There are two possibilities. First, he is looking for the next country, he can conquer. Second, this is a scheme to eliminate spies and traitors. Or possibly both. Given their destination, he will probably make a move on the Council State soon."

"It has already been 8 days, since Rockbruise-san left. She should arrive in E-Rantel by tomorrow morning. She will be right on time. I wonder if she will be alright, considering her somewhat difficult personality. We can only hope that she will get along with the other participants."

"I have been wondering about that for a while now. Who will the Sorcerer King send on a journey to some remote area? After seeing the creatures in this tomb, it is safe to assume, that they will be more than enough to obliterate any obstacles. Let´s just hope, Leinas does not do anything to anger them. The Sorcerer King himself might be controlled and calm, but his subordinates may not be that way. The sheer amount of killing intent is enough to intimidate even seasoned veterans. They are the likes of people that are only looking for a reason to go on a rampage."

After Loune left the office, Jircniv leaned back in chair. He sighed relaxed and took one of the bottles of wine and poured it into a glass. Not so long ago, the shelf was filled with healing potions, to ease his stomach pains. He would nervously check the content for poison. But after submitting to Ainz Ooal Gown, his paranoia subsided. Now, he carelessly took a sip of the wine and looked out the window.

A few miles away from E-Rantel, a single person rode through the night. The long blond hair and the curves of her heavy armor made it clear, it was a woman. The right side of her face was covered in what, at first glance, could be mistaken as a golden cloth. At a closer inspection, it could be recognized as a strand of hair. A black cloak was covering her body. Under that cloak, she wore a heavy metal-armor. The crest of the Baharuth Empire adorned the breastplate. The cold wind blowing in her face turned her cheeks red. Her horse was panting of fatigue. Nonetheless she pushed it to its limits. The determination, written all over her face, showed how important the goal of her journey is. The equestrians name was Leinas Rockbruise. She was also known as "Heavy Explosion" and was hailed as one of the four imperial knights, the four strongest warriors of the Baharuth Empire and directly subordinates of the emperor. Her current destination was the city E-Rantel. The Sorcerer Kingdom was mounting an expedition to the northern border of the Re-Estize Kingdom and The Baharuth Empire, as a vassal state, was asked for assistance. The emperor was petitioned to dispatch one of the four imperial knights, to take part in this project. Apparently, he decided to send Leinas. This decision was questionable. Everybody knew, that Leinas was not really trustworthy. She would betray everybody, to achieve her goal. Yet, it was her that he sent. Some people would think, it was an excuse to get rid of her, by sending her into the reach of a horrifying undead. Others would think, she was meant as some kind of spy, given her being the only female knight. For her, the reason did not matter. This was her biggest chance, to fulfill her dream. The only reason, she served the emperor was to increase her access to magic. The only thing she wished for, was to get rid of her curse. For several years now, she suffered of a curse, distorting the right half of her face. It was a disgusting sight, open wounds and puss secreting all over. She did her best to hide it with her hair, but it became steadily harder. The affected area got bigger every year. Soon, she would not be able to cover it any more. Ever since she started to serve the empire, she even got in contact with the imperial court wizard, Fluder Paradyne. He was known as the biggest expert on magic in the human world. So far, nobody has been able to cure her. Just when she was about to lose hope, the Sorcerer King appeared. He was a monstrous magic caster, whose power even surpassed Fluder. If he couldn´t help her, nobody could. So far, she has not met him in person, but she heard reports of the other knights. The fact, that he was an undead was trivial to her. She was determined to do whatever is necessary. For the past couple months, she tried to find something that could be of value to him. She knew very well, that nothing in this world was for free. If somebody was as desperate as her, he would be willing to pay everything. The problem was, she had nothing to offer. No amount of wealth could be of use to him. He had countless beautiful women attending him, so her body was equally useless to persuade him. The only thing left, was her fighting strength. For many years, she took pride in her abilities. However, for this indescribable being, who had an incredible number of powerful monsters, strong enough to level castles and cities on their own, among his servants, she would be nothing more than a pebble. Despite the incredible low odds, she had to give her everything. This mission was her only chance to prove her worth to him. For her, the Sorcerer King was a glimmer of hope. Without a doubt, she would convince him, to cure her. She knew she could do it, because she did not know, what to do if not. She did not have time to worry about that. For now, she had to hurry. Her arrival was expected to happen this day. With her current pace, she would be right on time. It was crucial, not to disappoint by being late. For seven days she has been traveling with only the minimum rest for her horse. She did not know, what the Sorcerer Kings goal on this expedition was but she knew it had to be something significant. Such a great being would not waste his time with anything less than great.

Ainz Ooal Gown was making his last preparations. The journey he was going on, was supposed to start today. The minions, that would accompany him, were already there, Mare and Solution were on standby and could be here immediately. The route would lead mostly through the Re-Estize Kingdom. Therefore, he was planning to travel incognito. His servants prepared two plain looking carriages, the likes merchants would use to transport their goods. One carriage would be loaded with the Hanzos and some equipment, the other one would carry Ainz, Mare, Solution and the imperial knight. At first Ainz planned to use undead horses and disguise them with magic, but he could not risk somebody noticing it. Therefore, he decided to use regular horses. The problem was, normal horses needed food and time to rest. So, he chose several small villages to rest. The disguise as merchants would give them an excuse to come late at evenings and leave early in the morning. It would take 6 days to reach the last village, before they had to go off-road. The area Hejinmal marked was several hundred square miles. Even with the Hanzos it would probably take 1-2 days to search the area. As soon as he found the Witcher fortress, he would start negotiations. In the worst case, they would see him as a threat and attack him. If that was the case, he would kill them and take their base by force. The only thing left was for the knight to arrive.

(I wonder if I gave them enough time. How long does it take to travel from Arwintar to E-Rantel? I am really excited to go. It was hard enough to wait for these ten days. Well, in the worst case I will pick them up on the way. Just imagining what I could find there makes me really impatient, but happy at the same time. That reminds me, why was Demiurge so happy, when I gave him the letter, to check for formal mistakes? All he said was "As expected" and something of "Perfect execution". I don´t get it. That was only a polite request. Ah, whatever.)

Still in his thoughts, he heard a knock on his door. After waiting a few seconds, he allowed for entrance. The maid, that entered the room, wore the usual restrained and eager attitude, like all the other maids. She bowed deeply and said

"Lord Ainz, the knight you demanded, has arrived. Shall I lead her in?"

"Her?"

Ainz was slightly confused. The knights he met so far in Nazarick and during the battle at the Katze Plains were male. One of the four knights died, when Aura and Mare visited the empire to intimidate Jircniv. So, there was only one knight left. It was not unheard-of for woman to be strong warriors. The Blue Roses were a prime example. Ainz had no problem with traveling with a woman. The issue was that he did not know this person. He was hoping, the emperor would send one of the knights he already met. Sharing the carriage with an unknown person for several days was very stressing for him.

"Yes, bring her in."

After several minutes, the maid returned, Leinas right behind her. She announced

"Your majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown, king of the Sorcerer Kingdom, the Baharuth Empire answered your request and send one of the four imperial knights, Leinas Rockbruise."

After looking at Ainz, she froze for a second. Seeing him directly for the first time was different, from what she imagined. She heard about him from the other knights. That he was a terrifying undead, indifferent when killing tens of thousands of people. She heard of his beautiful domain that has been described to her as the palace of the gods. She imagined him as a demon lord. But seeing him right now reminded her more of a god of death. She stood there for what felt like an eternity, when in reality it was more like 1-2 seconds. When she regained her senses, Leinas instantly fell to one knee and respectfully bowed.

"Oh, great Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown, I am very grateful for being allowed to take part in your expedition. I will do everything I can to be of service to you."

She did not dare to look up, before she was permitted to do so, her head held down and her eyes glued to the ground. She had experience in meeting rulers, so she knew it would be highly inappropriate to rise, before allowed to do.

After a few more seconds, Ainz broke the silence.

"Excellent. Please, stand up. I hope we will get along during the journey. Follow me, I will explain everything. But first, you must be tired. Take your time to rest properly. Once you are ready, we will depart."

"I am very grateful for your consideration. But I don´t want to delay your project any longer. "

"I appreciate your motivation, but the journey will be pretty long and I don´t know, how long exactly it will take. So, you should use this opportunity."

Sensing any further refuse would be rude, Leinas gave in.

"Thank you, your majesty. I will take as less time as necessary."

In the afternoon, Leinas returned to the place in front of the small palace. She could see two carriages. Both looked rather plain and were pulled by 2 horses each. On top of each of them sat a figure, wrapped in thick clothes. They seemed to be normal persons, but experienced warriors with keen senses could recognize them as dangerous individuals. Given the many undead and monsters she has seen, it was safe to assume they were not human either. Apart from them, she could see the Sorcerer King. Next to him was one of the dark elven girls, which had come to the capital in the past. She could not help but shiver, when she remembered how this small child massacred over one hundred imperial soldiers. On the other side of hi stood one of his maids. Her superhuman beauty was enough to capture even members of the same sex. Her voluptuous body was only covered in an unorthodox, skin-tight maid uniform. She had long and curled blonde hair. Her appearance was breath-taking. But what shocked Leinas even more was her open hostility and blood-thirsty look in her eyes, mainly directed at her. There was absolutely no kindness in her eyes. Once she got closer, Ainz noticed her and started explaining. He pointed out the route on a map.

"Let me explain the schedule. First, we will take this road to cross the border to the Kingdom. There is nothing of importance close, so there won´t be much patrolling going on. Once we successfully crossed the border, we will take this route to the north. To not raise any suspicions, we will rest only as much as necessary. We will arrive in small villages late at night and leave them early in the morning. As soon as we reach this settlement here, we will have to go off-road. It is the closest to the area, we want to investigate. We will build a provisionally camp right here, away from any roads. If we are that deep in the woods, we won´t get spotted by any unconcerned persons. Until that, it will probably take six days. Next, we will start scouting the area. When we have found the fortress, we will try to engage in peaceful talks with the residents. If they encounter us with hostility and violence, you have my permission to use force, but make sure, to capture some of them alive. But I absolutely forbid you to use force first. I want to try to negotiate with them. Are there any more questions?"

Solution and Mare shook their heads in denial. Only Leinas timidly asked a question.

"I am very sorry, but I would like to ask something."

Solution glared daggers at her, but Ainz raised his hand to calm her down.

"Yes?"

"I know it is not my place to ask questions, but what exactly is it you trying to find?"

"Ah, yes. I haven´t told you yet, have I? The letter I sent to the empire didn´t contain detailed information, either. You are a part of this mission, so you have any right to know. I am looking for the Witcher fortress."

"The Witchers?" Leinas exclaimed in surprise.

"You have heard of them?"

"Only the stories my mother told me, when I was a little kid. She tried to scare me, to behave."

(Why is he going through all of this, to look into a fairy tale? What could he gain from it? Or does he know something? He must have been alive for centuries, so it would not be surprising. Some information, nobody else has, lost knowledge.)

"Well, it seems you are familiar with the myths, surrounding them. While we travel, I would like for you, to tell me, what you heard. Maybe the stories you heard, differ from the ones I know about."

"Of course, your majesty. I will do my best, to be as accurate as possible."

The party mounted the carriages. Despite the plain outer looks, the interior of the carriages was pretty impressive. It was nicely decorated and worthy of a king. They would spend quite some time together, plenty enough for Leinas to prove her worth to the Sorcerer King. Solution took place right next to Ainz, in case he needed her services. Mare and Leinas took place opposite of them. As soon as everybody was seated, they departed. In search for foreign territory, Ainz non-existent heart bumped in excitement.


	7. Chapter 2 Unknown Borders Part 2

Travel Log

It has been five days, since we left E-Rantel. So far, the journey has been rather uneventful. The only event worth noticing was an attempted robbery, two days ago. The bandits were poorly equipped and looked like they were only skin and bones. It must have been weeks, since they last had something to eat. Half-starved, the only choice they had was to become criminals. It was a last, desperate attempt to fill their bellies. Personally, I would have only beaten them up, to teach them a lesson. The problem was it was not up to me to decide. They didn´t know, but they tried to rob the Sorcerer King. The hatred I could see in the dark elf´s and the blonde maid´s eyes made me shudder. Just as I wanted to leave the carriage to fight them, they already dropped to the ground, like puppets whose strings were cut. It looked like their throats had been cut, no rather ripped open. I knew that the Sorcerer King would not travel without any escort, but so far, I could not detect anyone. Whoever it was, they must be incredible skilled in stealth and assassin techniques. As soon, as the attackers were dead, the elf and the maid seemed to be indifferent about them. The fact, that the dark elven girl was accustomed to killing people, was widely known in the empire´s army. But the blood thirst and killing intent the maid was spreading, made me think of a serial killer. Both of them saw humans as little less than dirt, because dirt wasn´t attacking their master. I don´t know what to do, if I had to fight them. I am glad I am their ally. No, ally is not the right word. An ally is somebody, who can contribute something to a mutual goal. The better word would probably be pet. I am merely allowed to accompany them. For what reason, I don´t know. But I couldn´t care less. A loyal dog gets treated well and if he does as he is told, he gets a reward. That is my goal. If I have to be an obedient pet to achieve my goal, I will be the best. A long time ago I made a vow to do whatever is necessary.

Somehow, writing these experiences really calms me down. So far, I used this book only to write down the things I would do, once my curse was lifted. I couldn´t imagine the relaxing effect of remembering everything to this extent. For the first 3 days, I have been a nervous mess. I tried so hard to look trustworthy and professional. It even affected the other people in the carriage. When his majesty suggested, I should try to relax, I tried to play my nervousness down. Being distracted for even one second, could mean certain death. Then I remembered, with whom I was traveling. If there was somebody or something that could harm the Sorcerer King, it would not matter. I could do nothing to help. So, I followed his advice and focused on something different. At first, I was not sure what to do. It´s not like I could take a walk or something, while we were traveling. The only personal thing I brought with me was my revenge diary. So, I started writing down my personal thoughts and feelings. I was worried if I looked stupid, or if they would consider it a possible threat but nobody paid attention to what I was writing. In fact, they tried very hard not to interfere with me while writing. The elf seemed disinterested, the maid generally disgusted by me, for the Sorcerer King, I am not sure. It could be, he was simply sunken in thoughts and had no time to spare to bother me. It could be he did not mind the actions of mere humans. Or maybe he was considerate and polite. I will probably never know which of these reasons the real one is. Maybe all of them were true.

So far, everything went, as the Sorcerer king predicted. Nobody in the villages we rested in noticed something unusual about us. Tonight, we will rest at the last village on the journey. From tomorrow on, we will leave the roads and build a camp in the forest surrounding our destination. He says, he wants to engage in friendly conversations, once we have found the Witchers, but is that even possible? I know his majesty won´t be the problem. He is very composed and calm, even when meeting with the emperor. He doesn´t behave like an undead at all. I can´t help but wonder if he isn´t a human in disguise. The problem is how will the Witchers react? From what my mother told me when I was a child, they appear to be ruthless killers. Without any compassion or mercy, they murder and abduct children. They can´t be reasoned with and are unable to feel emotions. Maybe they are even more like undead, than his majesty. I just hope, I won´t be a hindrance. If somebody else had asked me, if the Witchers were real, I would have laughed at them. Even if it had been Fluder, I had mocked him. But this time is different. The Sorcerer King has done so many things, previously considered impossible or ridiculous. If he says they are real, they are real. And if they are real, that can only mean, that the stories are also true. It is somewhat exciting and frightening at the same time. Who would have thought that the nightmares of my childhood could become reality?

I don´t have many fond memories of my childhood. One of them is my mother. My mother has told me many stories, of fairies, heroes and dragons. I have always been so excited to listen to them. Depending on her story, I could immediately tell in what mood she was. She would tell me stories of brave heroes, who go on a quest to save the kidnapped princess, when I was frightened or sad. And then were the times, when she was angry with me. When I didn´t behave, she would tell me the stories of the Witches. Every time she did that, I was too scared to sleep, afraid, a Witcher would come and take me away. Despite all that, I always looked forward to hearing her stories. But then there was my Father. I remember my father being annoyed of her for feeding me this fairy tale nonsense. Growing up in a noble household is not as pleasant as many would think. Sure, I never had to worry about food or shelter. I had more than enough pretty dresses and toys. But there was also a downside. I was never allowed to play with other kids, or have fun at all. I had to learn proper manners at an early age. Whenever my father had the chance, he would try to introduce me to men, I have never met before. Some of them were even older than father. At first, I didn´t understand, but soon I learned, that he wanted me to marry one of them. I felt like cattle at a livestock market. I don´t know, if my father has ever seen me as a daughter. He has seen me as more of a sales product. He wanted to use me, to make connections to other noble households. This went on until I became twelve. It looked like my father had found the highest bidder, an ugly and disgusting fat-ass. My mother didn´t like the way he looked at me. I was afraid and I was sure my life would become a living hell. That is the only positive thing about my condition. When this wound appeared on my face, this disgusting pig lost all interest in me. But at the same time, my father lost every last bit of attachment for me. The only use I had for him was to marry me off. Now, that I had lost it, I was useless for him. I knew my whole life, my father was not the friendliest person, but I could not imagine he would show his disdain that openly. I am now pretty sure, that he tried to kill me once or twice. If not for my mother's intervention, I wouldn´t have survived. Only six months after my twelfth birthday, she sent me away. Back then, it hurt me very much and I cried a lot. Today I know it was the only option.

From that day on, I lived with my uncle. Well, he isn´t really my uncle, he is an old friend of my mothers. He is a good man and always took good care of me. It was also that man, who taught me how to defend myself. In his younger days, he has been a knight in the imperial army. At first, he wanted me to be able to defend myself in case of emergency. But once he noticed my talent for combat, he got serious. The lessons intensified and soon I was a better fighter than anyone else my age. As soon as my sixteenth birthday, I became even better than him. He encouraged me to become a professional knight and serve my country a different way than the nobles. I don´t know why, but he still doesn´t have a very good opinion on nobles. But I had other plans. I wanted to get rid of this course. I tried so hard to deny it, but it became worse over time. The wound continued growing. My first idea was to go to the priests. It was their duty, to help those in need. But reality proofed me wrong. As soon as they took a look at me, they kicked me out. They called me freak, abomination or monster. Some even tried to burn me to ´cleanse me of the evil´. I learned the hard way, how hypocritical the church truly was. Heartless bastards, who were promising salvation to the people, wouldn´t lift a finger to help those in need. Next, I consulted every magic caster I could find, but nobody could help me. Of course, they would not help me for free. Their services were very expensive, even though nobody accomplished anything. Since I could not rely on my family for support, I used the only thing I could do. I worked as a mercenary to earn money. The pay wasn´t bad, but I spent everything on possible cures. So far everything was futile. After asking every magic caster I met, everybody told me, the only person that could possibly help me was Fluder Paradyne. His name was known far and wide as the hero of the empire, the mightiest magic caster alive. His name was often said in the same sentence as the thirteen heroes. There was only one problem. He was the court magician of the emperor, so the only way someone could consult him, was with the emperor´s permission. It was then, that I remembered my uncle´s advice. I worked hard in the imperial army and when the emperor noticed my strength and talent, I was promoted to the recently opened seat as one of the four imperial Knights. They were recently opened, because in the previous war with the Re-Estize Kingdom, two of them were killed by Gazef Stronoff. My uncle, who was very proud of me, was also worried. He warned me to be careful, if I don´t want to face the same fate. I assured him, I wouldn´t die before this curse was lifted and I got my revenge. I still remember his nervous smile. The Emperor knew my motivation. He didn´t care, loyalty wasn´t my motivation to serve him. He got my fighting strength and I could get help by his court magic caster. It just seemed Fluder was not really motivated to help me. At first, he was interested in the curse, because it was a kind of magic, he hasn´t encountered before. But this interest soon faded. He only pretended to look for a cure for the past 3 years. Unfortunately, there was nobody else, I could go to. So, I stayed.

That was until the Sorcerer King appeared. Next to him, Fluder looked like an amateur, trying to learn his first step. The Sorcerer King´s magic is so immensely powerful, it defies logic. If only I knew what was necessary to convince him. I have never been so close to fulfilling my dream. After that, there is only one thing to do. Revenge. Revenge on the priests, who denied me help. Revenge on my father, who took advantage of me and tossed me away like garbage. Revenge on Fluder, who lied to me. Revenge on that pig-faced noble, who tried to defile me. And of course, revenge on the person responsible for this curse. As soon as I got my revenge on all the people who were cruel to me, I have to make sure to repay uncle for all the kindness and patience. I am very grateful to him.

It seems we are arriving soon, so I should wrap things up for today. Tomorrow will be a long day.

Today was a very weird day. So many things happened, it is truly overwhelming. I don´t know, where to begin. Yesterday afternoon, we arrived at the edge of the forest. Before we made the final decision on where to build our camp, we encountered five horsemen. It was probably a merchant with some bodyguards, because one of the horses was loaded with three very big bags. They seemed to be wary of us and seemed to be hesitant to continue, but as soon as they saw the shabby appearance of the carriages, they relaxed. Guess it is not unusual to meet bandits in this part of the world. It seemed like they didn´t want to take the risk of robbery, why they choose this remote road. They rushed away and were soon out of sight. I remember his majesty planning to ask them for the way, but ultimately decided against it. The Sorcerer King used an item to build a shelter. At first it seemed to be a little small, but as soon as I entered, I was proven wrong. It was so much bigger on the inside. The plan was, to start investigating the area, as soon as the sun rises, so he asked me to rest properly. I ate some of the food the maid gave me, all the while glaring daggers at me. I can´t get used to being around her, but the food is truly amazing. It´s not only perfectly cooked and with a magnificent taste, it feels like I am bursting with energy every time I eat it. Not sure if it is a good meal right before sleeping. Not that I slept very much during the journey. I was very eager to start. Before the sun could be seen, we assembled in front of the shelter. As soon, as the last person left the building, it disappeared. We were all given different areas we were to search. The elf girl (boy but I would only learn later) Mare was to cover the biggest area in the western direction. The maid Solution should wait with the two coachmen. I should search in the eastern direction. We should go for about an hour and then return to the carriages. Then we would move on to the next location and start again. He said in case of emergency one of the Hanzos would immediately tell him. What the hell is a Hanzo? It was probably the name of the creatures, which had been following us and killed the bandits. I don´t know, if I should feel safe or unsafe for not sensing them at all. I decided to go with the latter.

The forest was very dense and dark. I have been walking for at least an hour and the sun must have been up by that point. I tried several times to find the creature his majesty sent with me, but to no success. It´s stealth abilities must be really good. So far, there was nothing. Not only were there no signs of people, there weren´t any animal tracks either. It´s like the whole forest was empty. No birds or small animals were living in these trees. The only thing noticeable was the literal sound of silence. I couldn´t help but feel disappointed. If at least I had the opportunity to fight some Goblins, I could have killed the boredom. As I was about to turn around and go back, I saw the first sign of life in this forest. On a branch, about five meters above the ground, sat a black crow. If not for the small movements of its head, it could have been mistaken for a statue. The bird was staring right into my eyes, following my every movement. I can´t explain why, but it caused a very uneasy feeling. It felt like it was gazing right into my soul. I tried to ignore it. But it kept following me, wherever I went. I picked up a rock and threw it at the bird. The crow croaked loudly as it flew away. With a feeling of discomfort, I tightened the grip on my spear. I had to stay vigilant and keep my calm.

It was, as if the forest didn´t want to let me go back. While I was sure to follow the same path, I seemed to always get back to the point where I met the crow. I couldn´t help but feel trapped. Again and again, I failed to leave this goddamn forest. After what felt like hours, but what was closer to twenty minutes, I could hear a familiar noise, right above me. The crow had returned. The croaking sounded like laughter and I got furious. I couldn´t bear it. I was being mocked by a bird. Just as I was about to attack this stupid animal, I could see it wasn´t the only thing there. In the tree´s shadow stood a hooded figure. It seemed to fuse with the darkness. From the outline I could assume it was roughly my size and human-shaped. What shocked me the most, were those eyes. They were glowing in the dark, like those of a cat. I felt like a large predator had appeared before me. I was hesitating. For a few seconds I just stared in those eyes. I was paralyzed as the figure spoke in a deep and stern voice.

"You seem to be lost."

He clearly threatened me. My mind had not yet recovered from the shock, but my body had. My instincts and training kicked in and I pointed my weapon at him. The figure raised his hands over his right shoulder and grabbed something that looked like a hilt of a sword. I knew his majesty had said not to attack first, but at that moment I was not capable of such thoughts. I stepped forward and thrusted my spear at him. In one swift motion he drew his sword and deflected my attack. He used just enough strength to avoid getting hit, not more, not less. Without stopping he spun around and attacked. He aimed directly at my throat. His attack was definitely meant to kill. As a warrior, I couldn´t help but be amazed. The transition from defense to offense was flawless. His attack was impossible for me to block, so I jumped back to avoid his blade. I could feel a breeze as his sword passed by. He was fast and precise. Before I could even raise my weapon, he already had closed the distance between us. As I was about to attack him, he grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the spear. I tried to break free, but his grip was as strong as a vice. I tried to punch him with my free hand, but he dodged it easily. He yanked at my arm and threw me off balance. Now he stood behind me. The sharp pain I felt when he twisted my arm behind my back made me realize something. This guy was not like the Sorcerer King´s minions. They were absurd strong, to the point where it was impossible to even assess how strong. That´s what made them appear unrealistic. But he was different. His strength and speed were very real, but it wasn´t like I hadn´t faced strong and fast enemies before. So, why couldn´t I keep up with him? The answer was: He is better than me. He could be right in the middle between normal humans like me and the god-like creatures that follow the Sorcerer King. The pain made me drop my weapon as he put more pressure on my wrist. Before I could hope to escape, he pressed me against a tree. In a last attempt to fight back, I throw my head back to hit him, but I guess he saw it coming. He pressed his forearm in my neck to prevent me from escaping. With my face at the bark, there was not much I could do. Despite his calm and quiet tone, I could hear a faint amount of anger in his voice. His face was right next to my left ear as he said:

"Don´t struggle, or you will get hurt. Who are you and why are you here?"

I still regret my answer. For the sake of maintaining my dignity I will not repeat what I said, but it contained a lot of swearing and something about his mother. I know, not very professional. I guess he didn´t like my answer, because in the next instant I felt a hit on the back of my head and the world went black. He must have knocked me out.

When I regained my consciousness, I stared into the eyes of the elf. Next to her (him) stood the Sorcerer King. It took me a while but after standing up I noticed a man was with him. His skin was pale, nearly wax-like. His hair was as white as snow, but it wasn´t from old age. From his face I could tell he was younger than me, maybe 18 or 19. The leather armor he wore seemed like he took good care of it. A small medallion hung from his neck. It was shaped like the head of a wolf, baring its teeth. What seemed odd to me was that he carried two long-swords. That on its own would not be so unusual, but he wore them on his back, both hilts over his right shoulder. The way he fought didn´t seem like he would use two swords at a time. Why did he carry two? On his belt hang several small bottles, barely big enough to contain one sip. I could also see two, roughly fist-sized metal orbs. I had no idea of their purpose.

Mare informed them of me being awake. When he looked at me, I could see them. The glowing, cat-like eyes, that belonged to the person I fought. He came closer to me and I got ready to get up to fight him, but what happened next stunned me. He bowed politely and apologized.

"Please forgive me for treating you so roughly. I thought you belonged to the criminals that entered the forest two nights ago. I overreacted and did something inappropriate. I am very sorry."

I must have had a very dumb expression, because his majesty asked me, if I were alright. At that moment I could not answer him, because there was only one question in my mind:

What the hell had happened?


	8. Chapter 2 Unknown Borders Part 3

The early morning sun dyed the remains of what has once been a magnificent fortress in a golden shimmer. It had a respectable size, but it´s best days were far in the past. The outer wall had crumbled in several places. The wooden gate was brittle and couldn´t keep a child from entering. Nearly all the windows were broken and had been replaced with wooden planks. The remains of a flag hung from one of the watchtowers, but it was impossible to tell what was depicted on it. The stables, that could have held up to twenty horses if intact, had collapsed. A small building in the western part, that looked like its ceiling had been made out of glass, was now nothing more than garbage. This ruin looked out of place in midst of that mountain region. It was surrounded by thick forest. No streets or paths lead to the Entrance. It seemed well hidden, if not forgotten.

A person stood in the courtyard. He was a young man, maybe in his late teens. Despite being young his hair was white as snow. His eyes were yellow, with slit pupils, like those of a cat. He wore leather armor and on his back he carried two long swords, both well maintained and decorated with weird symbols. In front of the boy there was a pile of logs, properly stacked. On top of the pile was the body of a man. His scars told the story of many fierce battles. Even though his hair was gray and his face was wrinkled, his body was of protrude build. Well trained muscles and a sturdy expression surrounded him with the air of a seasoned veteran. He is covered in many fresh wounds, which must have happened right before his death. He must have been pierced with at least a dozen arrows or bolts and several blades must have struck him. Many attackers with even more weapons seem to have attacked him at once. Despite all of that, the cause of death was on his back. He was stabbed from behind in a cowardly way. His arms were crossed over his chest, embracing a sword. He wore the same medallion as the young man. It was a silver necklace, depicting the head of a wolf fletching it´s teeth. The man was speaking what seemed to be some kind of prayer. After he finished it, he poured an oily liquid over the dead body and the logs. He snapped his fingers.

"Igni"

Several sparks appeared around the corpse and ignited the oil. In the blink of an eye the corpse was burning with intense heat. The flame had an odd color. It was blue with some green sparks rising. It was obviously some kind of funeral ceremony. The man simply stood there, gazing at the spectacle in front of him. His face showed no emotions, but tears were rolling down his face. It was quiet, only the crackling of the flames could be heard. He watched as the flames slowly consumed the body.

"Goodbye and thanks for everything."

These words contained lot of sadness and grief. The relationship between these two was like between father and son. The man on the pyre was Vesemir, the late master of the Witcher Guild. He had been alive for over two centuries and had fought many fierce battles. He survived encounters with many different magical beasts, killed thousands of vile monsters and seen more supernatural phenomena than can be counted. Despite his age, he didn´t show any signs of weakness. He trained every day and deepened his knowledge. Maybe he would have led the guild for another century, if not for the Slane Theocracy. The Theocracy´s hate for every non-human creature was widely known. But their hate for the Witchers was even bigger. They saw them as traitors to humanity. Abominations, that gave up their humanity and succumbed to evil. They were the incarnation of blasphemy, an insult to their gods, which saw humans as a superior race. They had to be put down. And so they did. Since their foundation, the Slane Theocracy has been hunting the Witchers. More than once they deployed their scriptures to kill them. But more than once not all of the scriptures members returned alive. The Witchers were well trained and experienced fighters and magic casters. They made for formidable enemies. To attack them in their domain was even more difficult. They knew the terrain and how to use it for their advantage. Finding them in the first place was a challenging task. Their fortress Kaer Morhen was well hidden in an unexplored region with dense forest and inaccessible mountains. It was even more difficult for the Slane Theocracy. The domain the Witchers possessed was located right at the border to the Argland Council State. They couldn´t risk angering the mighty Dragon Lords, so the Theocracy had to be satisfied with short, small attacks on the Witchers. That way, they killed hundreds of Witchers in the last 400 years, but never found their hideout. This time, they wanted to get rid of them once and for all. They deployed eight members of their Scripture specialized on assassination, the Holocaust Scripture. They carefully prepared a trap for their target. For the sake of this mission they were even given permission to use some of the artifacts. Artifacts were weapons and items, left behind by the six great gods 600 years ago. Weapons like these were extremely rare and powerful, every adventurer would do anything to get one of them. And they got several of these items. They were very eager, but got impatient and made a mistake. They thought Vesemir would be the last Witcher. They didn´t know, he had an apprentice. 19 years ago, when wandering the forest, Vesemir found an infant, abandoned by its parents and left to die I the wilderness. He decided to raise this boy and turn him into one of his kind. He named this boy Geralt.

Geralt turned out to be a promising young boy. He showed talent in swordfight and was very quick to understand the different teachings of the Witchers. Alchemy, herbalism, anatomy, magic, track reading, Vesemir taught him everything he knew. At the age of ten, it was time for Geralt to become a Witcher. The initiation rite would turn the human body into that of a Witcher. After that, they would be family. After he turned fifteen, there was nothing left Vesemir could teach him. The boy already knew everything he knew and was as good as a fighter as himself. But instead of leaving as many young man his age do to start a family, he stayed. The only family a Witcher has is the guild. It had been five years, since the only other Witcher Geralt knew, went missing. He was probably dead. Only the two of them remained. And now, Geralt was all alone, cremating the remains of his only family he ever knew. There was no other place for him than Kaer Morhen. The humans and demi-humans feared him alike. As the last of the guild he became the leader and was responsible for it. He had to take care of the fortress and everything attached to it. The memories and the legacy of the Witchers was now his burden. The place he called home for so many years has now become his prison. But right now, he couldn´t worry about that. The only thing he felt was the loss of his father.

The fire was getting smaller and about to expire, as a loud noise interrupted the ceremony. Geralt looked around to find the source of the sound. It was a crow, sitting on the remains of a practice dummy, croaking vehemently. Geralt stretched out his left hand and pointed his palm at the head of the bird.

"Axii"

The bird fell silent and obediently sat on Geralts left shoulder.

"Show me what you found."

The bird turned his head in the direction of the forest and croaked once, to show it understood. It spread its wings and flew into the forest, making sure to be in sight of its master. Geralt ran through the forest, avoiding the trees, roots and rocks with ease. Even after several kilometers, his breathing was as calm as if he were asleep. Even trained athletes would have collapsed by now, but Geralt showed no signs of fatigue. His mind on the other hand was the complete opposite.

(Are they really that stupid? Have they returned, to finish what they started? I hope so. This time, they will not escape. They will pay for what they did. I will not let this opportunity pass.)

In high hopes of revenging his master, Geralt hurried into the direction the crow showed him. He was determined not to repeat the mistake he made last time. When his master suddenly left in the middle of the night, he didn´t thought much of it at the time. After two hours he got nervous and went into the forest. He was too late. He saw his master body lying on the ground, covered with countless injuries. He was about to go on a rampage, but then his masters voice echoed in his head: "Losing your head is the first step to failure." Geralt forcefully suppressed his anger and let them run away. The only thing he could do was preventing the Theocracy´s agents from taking his corpse. After that, it took him a whole day to gather enough wood for the stake. Right as he was about to honor his master, the sentry he sat up responded. For the last 10 years, nobody had entered the forest and now two days in a row. This couldn´t be a coincidence. Geralt was sure, they returned for him, but this time, he was prepared. He saw the bird sitting down. Right under the tree stood a young woman. Geralt watched her going in circles for a while. He was absolutely sure, there was a woman among the Scriptures members, but she didn´t resemble her. In fact, this woman looked totally different. Her hair, her build and her armor didn´t fit at all. Plus, there was a weak magic response coming from her. Not the kid coming from magic equipment. Maybe she wasn´t connected to the last group, but maybe she was just bait. It wouldn´t be the first time, the Theocracy used women to lure them into a trap. But something seemed odd. The crest on her armor was that of the Baharuth Empire. But why would they come here? To get to this forest, they would have to pass the Re-Estize Kingdom, they were at war with. So far, they have never shown any signs of interest. Was it another trick of the Slane Theocracy? Geralt didn´t know what to do. If she was bait by his enemies, he would have to find the others, hiding somewhere to ambush him. But if she wasn´t, she could be lost. This forest was tricky and the lack of sunlight and the terrain made it easy to get disoriented. He heard the crow croaking. When he saw the woman trying to attack the bird, he was sure, she wasn´t working for the Theocracy, otherwise she wouldn´t react so irrational. If she was lost, Geralt would offer her to lead her back. If he showed her goodwill, it should be easy to make contact. As he was about to talk to her, she looked him strait in the eyes. She looked terrified, maybe from wandering the forest for who knows how long. She seemed to hesitate, for some reason. He decided to loosen the atmosphere by speaking in the most kind and calm voice he could muster.

"You seem to be lost."

Before he could get any closer, he could see something snap inside her. She grabbed her spear and thrusted it at him. He had no other choice but to defend himself. He grabbed the sword and evaded her attack. Due to his trained reflexes and combat skill, he immediately counterattacked. Geralt was trained to face many different foes, from beasts to humans. He knew exactly how to fight an opponent wielding a weapon for middle distances. Get past the range of the weapon and attack from a blind spot. First he forced her to step back, by pretending to aim at her throat. When she was off balance, he closed in and grabbed her wrist. While avoiding punch, he twisted her arm behind her back and forced her against a tree. To prevent her from hitting her head, he put his forearm in her neck. Desperate to de-escalate the situation and worried she might hurt her arm he still held behind her back, he whispered as gently as he could into her ear.

"Don´t struggle or you will get hurt. Who are you and why are you here?"

He was stunned by the amount of obscenities she spurted at him. In fact, he was so baffled, he loosened the arm at her neck and she started jolting. Her head collided with the hilt of the sword he was holding in the hand of the arm he used to detain her head. Instantly, she collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut. As he looked at her unconscious body, Geralt had only one thought.

"Crap"

West of the place Ainz had used as a base camp, a Hanzo was reporting to him and Mare.

"Your Majesty, it seems like the human encountered a resident of this place. He watched her for a while but didn´t seem hostile. How should we proceed?"

"Very good, thank you. Please retreat to the place you saw them, I will be right there. If her life isn´t in danger, don´t show yourself and keep watching."

The Hanzo bowed politely and vanished into the forest.

(It seems like it was a good choice to bring her with us. I didn´t expect to find them right on the first day. Maybe it helped, she had a nice face. People re less worried when talking to a pretty person. By the way, I wonder, why she hides half of her face. Is it some kind of popular hairstyle in the empire? I would have asked, if she hadn´t been so tense on the journey. When I tried to ask her for her hobbies, she spent the rest of the day writing in her small book. Did the emperor order her to write a report? I remember being ordered to do these boring and useless things by my hire-ups all the time. She looked like she didn´t want to be there. I can´t blame her. She must see me as some kind of evil demon king who forced her emperor into submission. What should I do to improve our relationship? I will worry about that later. Right now, I have to focus on my goal.)

"Uh, ehm Lord Ainz, also, I was thinking, what we would do? Should use my magic to control vines to capture him for interrogation?"

"No, no, no. I mean, that would not be very wise to do. We want to talk to them in a peaceful and respectful way. I would like to make deals of mutual benefit. Hurting the first one we find might be adversely. You will go first and try to talk to him. I don´t want to scare him."

"Oh, of course. For those not of Nazarick, Ainz-samas magnificence can be very intimidating.

Mare went ahead, while Ainz stayed for a few seconds.

(Not so much intimidating than scaring. If an undead appeared before a professional monster hunter, it could cause many problems.)

Geralt, who stood over Leinas, was worrying. She didn´t have any provisions or travel equipment with her, which meant she had a camp nearby. If her companions in her camp got worried and came looking for her, it would look like Geralt had attacked her. The last thing he needed right now, were more enemies. In order to clear this misunderstanding, Geralt tried to wake the unconscious woman. He gently patted her face and shook her.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Please, wake up. Damnit, I didn´t want to knock you out. That was an accident."

He sighed defeated

"Heeeeee. It´s no use. Doesn´t look like she will wake up anytime soon. What should I do now? I can´t go looking for her friends. I have no idea, who they might be, or how many they are. There are no injuries on the surface, besides some scratches. I don´t think she will die if left alone. There aren´t any dangerous animals around, but I don´t like the idea of leaving her here. Maybe I should bring her to the castle? No, wait. That would let me look like a criminal, who abducts women and keeps them in a dungeon. What should I do? This situation is… Huh?"

Geralt stopped his rambling midsentence and reached for the medallion on his neck. His eyes widened in shock and he gripped it tight.

"What the hell is this? I have never had a reaction that strong. It´s coming from the direction the girl came from. Is it one of her friends? If it is a foe, I am done for. Whatever it is, it is getting closer. If I run now, I might be able to escape."

The medallion every Witcher wore was a very specialized magical item. Every apprentice had to forge it himself and cool it down with his own blood. That way, it only works for the Witcher that forged it. Its purpose was to detect and assess possible threats. It could not accurately depict the form of the danger, so it treated magical beasts and human warriors and magic casters the same. The stronger the medallion reacts, the stronger the threat. Right now, the medallion was almost tearing the chain. The only time he heard of a medallion reacting like this was when one of the early Witchers encountered a Dragon Lord. Right now, a threat like he has never seen before was coming closer every second. He had two choices. The first one was, to run with all his might and try to escape. This choice was already rejected. Geralt choose the second option. His curiosity and excitement, driven by his professional thirst for knowledge, forced him to stay. He wanted to see the impending calamity. Seconds passed, but for Geralt, they felt like hours. He tried his best, to keep his breathing under control. The damp feeling in his gloves worsened. Then finally, he could see it. It was totally different from what he expected. What was it, he expected? How could he picture something, nobody has ever experienced before. In retrospect, it seemed silly. What stood before him was young dark elf, clad in clothes more luxurious and precious than he has ever seen before. Now, as he stood right before the source of the magic reaction, he could get better control over it. He could sense the quality and strength of his equipment. It made him shudder. Never before had he encountered something so powerful. The only thing more frightening than the power this being radiated, was the extreme contrast to its appearance. It looked like a child. The tender limbs, the innocent smile and the small frame made it obvious. From its dark skin and pointy ears, Geralt could recognize the child as a dark elf. Dark elves had very long life-spans, so this kid was probably older than himself. But by human standards it looked like a 9-year-old. If not for his medallion, Geralt would have assumed the kid coming here by accident. He decided to try to talk to the child.

"Hello, I am Geralt. Are you by any chance an acquaintance of this woman? We happened to have a little quarrel and I seem to have knocked her out unintentionally."

"Ah, uh ehm, yes. She came with us. Ainz-sama brought her with him to help with something."

"That is good. Could you do me a favor? I want to apologize to Ainz-san for what happened. I feel very sorry. I didn´t mean to hit her."

Geralt felt relieved, as the reaction from his medallion got weaker. It didn´t mean, the child was less powerful. It meant, the child wasn´t posing a threat. It radiated no malice or ill intent. The probability of it attacking was near zero. The child itself seemed to relax. At first, it was very nervous and timid. But now it stood upright and took a few steps to Geralt. Now, that it had left the bushes, Geralt could see it wearing a skirt. He was slightly confused for a moment.

"I´m sorry to ask, but you are a boy, aren´t you?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mare Bello Fiore and as you mentioned, I am a boy."

"But you are wearing… You know what? Forget I ever asked. It´s none of my business."

After seeing that Mare couldn´t see anything wrong, he decided to ignore it. He was the last one to judge people on their personal preferences.

"Well, it´s a pleasure to meet you, Mare Bello Fiore. You mentioned someone named Ainz. Is he the leader of your group?"

"He is not only the leader of our group. He is the leader of the Supreme Beings, the Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the king of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ainz Ooal Gown."

Geralt noticed Mare stopped stuttering as soon as he started talking about this Ainz. Furthermore, his eyes started to sparkle and his voice got more cheerful. He must really admire this person. One the one hand, Geralt felt relieved. If such a cheerful child admires this person, he should have a good character. On the other hand, he also felt nervous. If a being as powerful as this dark elf referred to him as a supreme being, just how strong would he turn out to be?

"You said he was a king? I have never met a king before, so I don´t know, if I can act properly. I heard many nobles were very petty with their etiquette. I don´t want to offend him."

"Ainz-sama isn´t like that. He is a very kind and magnanimous person. But before you can meet him, I want to ask you something."

"Sure, if I can I will answer."

"Ainz-sama came here to find some Witcher-guys. Do you know them? He wants to meet them and ask them some questions."

Slightly amused by his childish voice, Geralt couldn´t help but smile back.

"That is very fortunate. I am one of the Witcher-guys."

"Then let´s go and meet him right away."

"Wait. What about her?" he asked, pointing at Leinas.

"I will call for some minions to carry her back."

After Mare called for one of the Hanzos to carry Leinas, they slowly walked back to their camp. Geralt knew, there had to be other creatures hiding, but because of Mares overwhelming presence, he couldn´t properly detect them, only some vague directions. As they walked back, Geralt learned a lot from Mare. Apparently, the Sorcerer Kingdom was a newly founded country between the Baharuth Empire and the Re-Estize Kingdom. He made a mental note, to update the map in the fortress as soon as he got the time. Since he hadn´t had much contact to people outside this forest, he decided to gather some news. So he asked Mare to tell him the things that recently happened. He learned how the Sorcerer King saved the Dwarfen Kingdom from a Quagoa-invasion and retook their capital by defeating a dragon. Then Mare told the story, of how the Sorcerer King traveled to the Holy Kingdom and defeated a powerful demon and an army of Demi-Humans who were killing and tormenting the people. Apparently, the Sorcerer King was a very powerful magic caster. Geralt was very impressed by those incredible feats, but was also somehow sceptic. Could one man really achieve all those miraculous things? Then he remembered Mares strength and deemed it possible. After a while, they reached the edge of the forest. Geralt became more and more nervous. For the past couple minutes, the reaction from his medallion got stronger and stronger. It got very difficult to interpret, but he must be at least as strong, as the little elf besides him. Deep inside, he wished the forest wouldn´t end, so he hadn´t have to meet this king. But his wish was denied. As soon as his eyes got accustomed to the bright sunlight, he forgot to breathe for a moment. The Being before him seemed to suck in all the light in the surroundings. It was as if the light itself avoided this creature. The skinless skull proofed without a doubt the nature of this incredible monster. It was an undead. One like he never encountered before. Instinctively Geralt reached for his sword, but as soon as he raised his hand, he could feel the danger response from his medallion get stronger. Was fighting this creature even more dangerous than being defenseless? Deciding to follow his gut feelings, he put his hand down. In response, his medallion calmed down a little bit. It seemed the creature in front of him had no intention to attack him for no reason.

"Lord Ainz, I brought you one of the Witchers, you wanted to talk with."

"You did well Mare. Now. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. I came all the way from the Sorcerer Kingdom. I wish to talk with your people and learn from them."

Still not sure about what to do, Geralt decided that the being was indeed very polite and had no ill intents. Therefore, he wanted to response accordingly.

"My name is Geralt and I am a Witcher. I bid you welcome to our domain. Your servant has told me many fabulous tales about you person. Some of them were so extraordinary, I had some doubts. But seeing you in person, makes them seem reasonable."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Geralt. I am very glad to meet one of your guild so soon. But please do me a favor. You don´t need to be so formal with me. I am an unannounced visitor, therefore it is up to me to show gratitude towards you."

"If you don´t mind, I will take you up on your offer. I am not very comfortable with etiquette and formality."

"Feel free to act like your normal self."

While talking to this incredible powerful undead, Geralt could feel the danger reaction become weaker. In the same amount, Geralt became more and more relaxed around this unexpected visitor.

"At first, I have to apologize. It seems I heart one of your servants. I assure you, it was an accident. I only tried to subdue her, to ask her some questions. Two nights ago, we had an incident with some hostile intruders. I wanted to make sure, she didn´t belong to them. Unfortunately she got hurt in the following events."

"I got a report by one of my servants and it seems, what you said is the truth. You could say, we were illegaly trespassing, so your reaction to capture the intruder would be justified. Let´s just say, mistakes were made on both sides and forget about it."

After hearing this, Geralt felt like a huge burden was taken of him. He wouldn´t have known what to do, if he had to fight him.

"Lord Ainz, I am very sorry to interrupt you, but it seems like she is awake now."

Geralt was the first one to respond. He bowed politely to Leinas and asked for forgiveness.

"Please forgive me for treating you so roughly. I thought you belonged to the criminals that entered the forest two nights ago. I overreacted and did something inappropriate. I am very sorry."

Leinas didn´t seem to comprehend what he just said. She looked like she was still half-asleep, wearing an expression of total disbelief.

Worried, Ainz asked her.

"Are you alright?"

She didn´t answer, so Geralt talked to Ainz instead.

"Maybe she doesn´t feel well. I think we should continue our conversation at a better place. If you don´t mind, I would like to invite you to our fortress. It´s in that direction."

Geralt pointed in the direction he and Mare came from.

"It would be a pleasure. I have been wanting to see your fortress for a while now. But shouldn´t you consult the others, if it is aright to bring strangers to your base?"

With a somewhat sad and lonely voice, Geralt answered

"That won´t be necessary. I am all that´s left of the Witcher Guild."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Maybe I should introduce me better. I am Geralt, the last Witcher."


	9. Intermission

In the depths of the floating castle, its only resident grew more and more uncomfortable. This wasn´t due to his loneliness. Over the centuries, he became very much accustomed to being alone. For a Dragon Lord like him, one-,two- or even three hundred years weren´t a terrible long time-span. With an age of over 800 years, Tsaindoruks Vaison belonged to the older group of dragons. In fact, he was one of the oldest Dragon Lord alive. Around 500 years ago, the Eight Kings of Greed went on a rampage and slaughtered many of the dragons older than him, including his father, the Dragon Emperor. If not for the Eight Kings of Greed, the Dragon Lords would still reign this world. The only reason, the Dragon Lords didn´t went extinct, was the quarrel between the eight kings. In the end, they killed each other. Severely weakened, the Dragon Lords decided to secure their own positions. Some of them founded the Argland Council state and govern it to this day. The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord went into hiding. The Brightness Dragon Lord, apparently without a care in the world, experimented to create offspring with different species, resulting in the royal lineage of the Dragonic Kingdom. Tsaindoruks Vaison, the Platinum Dragon Lord, took up residence in the capital, the Eight Greed Kings brought with them. The cause for his decision was simple. Fear. When the Eight Kings of Greed came to this world, they had a lot of powerful weapons and items with them. He couldn´t risk for them to fall into the wrong hands. His decision was to protect these objects. Since he started to live here, he learned a lot. For example, he learned the name of the world these creatures came from. Yggdrasil. Furthermore, he learned the name of their species. Player. He suspected, the Six Great Gods, that appeared hundred years earlier, were also players. These beings held incredible powers. Killing dragons was like sport to them. Nothing in this world could oppose them. They were like natural disasters, only worse. Unlike nature, these monsters could be deliberately cruel. He also found writings, they left behind. For the past couple centuries, he tried to decipher them, but he could only understand fragments. He could understand the purpose of this building. It was called a ´Guild Base. It looked like it was used as a military base to conquer the surrounding areas. So, the reason the Players came to this world was to conquer. And that was the reason for his nervousness. Recently a being emerged, he suspected to be a Player. This being was the king of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ainz Ooal Gown. For that reason, he asked his old friend, Rigrit Bers Caurau, to investigate the existing items that originated from Yggdrasil. He was especially interested in so-called "Guild Weapons". They were closely tied to "Guild Bases" and were extremely powerful, even for Yggdrasil-standards. He currently possessed a sword of that category. His goal was to build up enough strength to fight Ainz Ooal Gown, if he proofed to be as fatal as the last wave of Players.

Right now, he was eagerly awaiting the return of his old friend. She has been traveling the world and collecting information for about a year now and today was the day, she was supposed to return. He knew, she was very good at sneaking up on him. Her membership of the famous group of the thirteen heroes wasn´t for show. For a human, she was very skilled. Labeling her a human was debatable. She was over 250 years old. She prolonged her life by performing an old magical ritual. Over this time-span, she acquired a lot of different skills and accumulated a huge amount of knowledge. Furthermore, she was one of the few people, Tsaindoruks Vaison (or Tsa for friends) could trust.

Suddenly, he noticed a present. By human standards, the distance would be very long, but for a dragon, she was already very close. Just how did she manage to get this close to him, without him noticing? Patiently, he waited for her to arrive in the throne room he was at. After several minutes, she arrived before him.

"So, what did you find out?"

"No Hello? No "Long time no seen, old friend"? I know, one year flies by in the blink of an eye for you, but still. I remembered my old friend having better manners."

"You are right. I am sorry. Hello, Rigrit. How have you been? Did you do well, on your journey?"

"Hahaha, I´m only messing with you. I can imagine how curious you are. But let´s say, I did well and I learned some things on my journey, but I fear it will not be enough."

"That doesn´t sound too good."

"Well, for starters, I met with Aindra-san. He reluctantly let me examine his armor. He only allowed it, because I saved his niece´s life."

"And?"

"His armor is beyond everything currently producible. Not only is it´s durability far beyond adamantite, it also grants several resistances and buffs when equipped. With the amount of money necessary to enchant a piece of armor with only half of the effects on a lower quality, you could probably buy one or two noble´s domains. Unfortunately, I could not determine, how it was made. All I can say is, it was forged and enchanted in a different way than we use. There were absolutely no marks of honing and forging it. There were also no traces of materials used to enchant it. It almost feels like it was designed independently of matter and came into existence."

"You mean, it started immaterial and became material, once it was finished?"

"That seems to be the case."

"After visiting the royal library in the capital, I left the Re-Estize Kingdom. My next stop was the library of the Dwarven Kingdom. I managed to infiltrate it, unnoticed of the dragons. I could only briefly glance through the books. Unfortunately, there were no important notes, only some reports on the equipment of the thirteen heroes, which we already know more than enough about. Gladly, I made it out of the capital in time. Just after I left, the Sorcerer King seems to have shown up and exterminated the strongest dragon there and conquered the rest of them."

"I heard of that event. Apparently, he made the dwarves his servants in the process."

"Next, I visited the Imperial Magical Academy in the Baharuth Empire. I went there in disguise. My biggest fear was to encounter Fluder. I think he still hates me to this day. Fortunately, he was too occupied to notice me. According to the acolytes, he seemed to be absorbed in some kind of magic tome he recently acquired. At least I could move much more freely this way. Unfortunately, I could not find much information on items from Yggdrasil. However, after I broke into the secret archives, I found a document, that connected the use of the modern Tier Magic system to an item the Six Great Gods possessed. This parchment seemed to be an eye-witness report of an absolute madman. The way it was written, the person must have been half-mad after witnessing something. It seems they used it to enable the use of their magic."

Incredulous, Tsa narrowed his eyes.

"That would be a catastrophe. The sheer amount of power necessary to change the way the world works is incredible. Do you know, what happened to that object?"

"According to the report, it disappeared."

"What do you mean, it disappeared?"

"It seems like it vanished into thin air, after it was used. But I couldn´t verify that information. It seems very dubious and not really reliable."

"Well, that´s a relief. If the report is only the fever-dream of a lunatic, the object probably doesn´t exist. Even if it is true, it seems like it used up its power and was only a single-use object."

"Yes. The thought of such an object to exist, is very unsettling. After that, I went to the City-State Alliance. I can tell you; it was a real pain in the ass to travel between the cities. They really like their tolls and passports, entry- and exit permissions. The information I gained there paled in comparison to the huge pile of documents necessary, to ask for a library pass."

Tsa couldn´t help, but fail to suppress a small chuckle.

"After that, I got in contact with some old friends and associates. They weren´t very helpful. On my way back here, I stopped in the Elven Kingdom. I had some friends there from my time with the Blue Roses."

"I have heard of you freeing some slaves. Good thing, they always repay their debts."

"Yes, but what I found there really hurt my heart. Under the Elf King, the budget for all public services, including the archives, were reduced to nearly nothing. The only good thing in that was that there was nobody to disturb me, so I stayed there for a few days. I found nothing of interest, regarding Yggdrasil there. All in all, the journey was not as productive as we hoped it to be."

"Not at all. I am very grateful for your effort. You have been more reliable than I could have asked for. But It´s a shame, we couldn´t find more."

"Well, there is still one place left. But I wanted to ask you first, before going there."

"That was a good decision. The Slane Theocracy is a very dangerous place. They know we are friends. If they were to capture you, you could face harsh torture and execution. They are real fanatics. Going there just for the purpose of doing me a favor, is much more than a friend could ask for."

"I wasn´t talking about the Theocracy. They probably possess many documents and items regarding the Six Great Gods, but I think there is a place with much less bias."

"What place are you talking about?"

"Kaer Morhen."

Tsa immediately fell silent. He just stared at Rigrit, while the air around him seemed to grow tenser every passing second.

"I thought you would react this way, but take a second and think about it. The Witchers have been around for nearly 1000 years. They are known to meticulously document everything they encounter. The knowledge hidden in their library must be astonishing. Their curiosity for everything related to magic is proverbial. It seems they also have the habit of collecting magical items. Who knows what slumbers in their fortress?"

"I agree with you. Their archive could be very rich on information. Nevertheless, I don´t think it is a good idea. If they know you are working with me, they would deny you any access. They might even get hostile towards you."

"Seriously, what is it with you and the Witchers? I still remember the day we encountered one of them, when we were traveling together as the thirteen heroes. As soon as he noticed who you really are, he became... how should I phrase it... much less friendly. And you didn´t seem to be too happy either. There are a lot of rumors and myths going around. Would you please explain to me, what your problem is about?"

"Let´s say, we have a complicated relationship. We try to keep our distance from each other."

"And yet, you gave them a patch of land and even allowed them to build a fortress there?"

"That was only to keep a close eye on them."

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer?"

"Something like that."

"But why are you so afraid of them? Sure, for humans, they are very powerful, even superhuman. But that shouldn´t be enough to threaten you. There is still more. What are you not telling me?"

Tsa seemed like he didn´t want to answer that question. But he knew, Rigrit wouldn´t let him avoid this topic.

"We made an agreement and are currently holding a truce."

"So, they forced you to leave them alone? What is it, they threaten you with? It´s obviously not their fighting strength. So, they must have some kind of lever against you. Come on. If the situation is really that tense, you should try and negotiate with them."

"It is not that easy. The deal was, we stay away from them and their fortress. In return, they don´t spread their knowledge."

"So, you are telling me, they are blackmailing you? With what? Did you cheat on your non-existent wife or something?"

"That´s a secret. I really shouldn´t tell you."

"I can´t help you, if I have not enough information. Is the preservation of that secret really more important than defending against the common threat of the Players?"

"OK, come closer and I will tell you."

When Rigrit got closer, she had an expression like a child that was about to receive its birthday present. Tsa on the other hand wore a sour expression. He whispered something into her ear. Rigrit´s face changed drastically. She went pale and her eyes went wide in shock. For several minutes, they remained silent. It took that long for Rigrit to grasp the severity of the things Tsa just said.

"That... what... I... But... How?"

"How did they discover? We still don´t know. After all, it was very well hidden. We don´t think, they were searching for it. They must have found it on chance. We tried to make sure, it couldn´t be discovered, but we underestimated their ability to feel the flow of magical energy."

"That is true. I didn´t even know, such a thing existed. Now I understand why you can´t risk to anger them."

"Yes. If we were to attack them, they would spread the knowledge. If they spread the knowledge, we will attack them in revenge. Breaking a deal would mean catastrophe for us all. Can you imagine what would happen?"

"You would immediately become a target. There is no shortage of individuals, organizations and nations that would shed insane amounts of blood, in order to get their hands on it. But the fact, that there is not even a rumor going around means, the Witchers have kept that secret so far. Very good I might add. Just imagining what the Theocracy would do. It is very frightening. They would have enough power to destroy you all. But that leaves one question. Why haven´t you moved it to a different location, to prevent them from blackmailing you?"

"It can´t be moved without causing natural disasters. Even if we could, it wouldn´t help. Its existence itself must be kept a secret under all costs."


	10. Chapter 3 Mirror Image Part 1

After entering through the big wooden double-doors, a big entrance hall came into sight that seemed to be repurposed as a dining hall. There were a dozen tables, each one was big enough for 10 people to sit down. On the ceiling hung 4 chandeliers, but all the candles were burnt down. After a closer inspection, the room seemed to be rather neglected. In every corner spiders had built big webs to hunt for their prey, the dust gathered on every surface, the wooden tables and benches seemed brittle to the point of collapsing. The color of the paintings on the wall were faded. The wall around the fire place was covered in ash and soot. As Geralt noticed Ainz looking around, he said in a somewhat ashamed tone

"I am sorry. I wasn´t expecting guests."

"It´s OK. It is our own fault for coming unannounced."

Grateful for Ainz´s sympathy, Geralt led the three of them to the only clean table, right next to the fire-place. The benches creaked loud as they sat down.

"I´m sorry, but there is not much I can offer you. I fear the only things I have are a few bottles of spirits and dried meat."

As Geralt was about to put some cups on the table, he startled in front of Ainz

"I´m not sure, would it be polite or impolite to offer you something to drink?"

"Please don´t mind me, there is no need to prepare a drink for me."

"And what about him?"

He pointed at Mare

"I´m not familiar with elven laws. I know he is probably older than he looks, but is he allowed to drink alcohol?"

"Please not. He is still a child."

"Wait a minute."

Before Geralt could continue, he was interrupted by Leinas.

"What do you mean, he?"

"What´s there to not understand? Mare is a boy, so obviously I would refer to him has ´he´."

Leinas seemed confused, but decided to stay put.

"That leaves the two of us."

He put a cup in front of Leinas. The liquid he poured into the glass was as clear as water. After he finished filling her cup, he proceeded with his own. Once finished, he gulped the whole helping in one go and immediately grabbed the bottle to refill. Leinas thought nothing of it and grabbed the cup. After the first gulp she suddenly coughed fiercely.

"Sorry, I should have warned you. It takes a lot for us Witchers to feel the alcohol, so all the stuff here is pretty strong. Maybe you should water it down a bit."

"It´s nothing I can´t handle."

She said with tears in her eyes and a red face.

After Geralt chugged down another helping, he turned his attention to Ainz.

"So, what brings you here? It´s not like there is anything interesting nearby, only forest and mountains for miles."

"Actually, I came to look for this place."

"Really? You must be terribly bored if this place piques your interest."

"Not at all. I heard some rather interesting things about this place. Or rather its inhabitants."

Geralt, smiling as he heard that, took another gulp and answered

"So, you wanted to see, if the stories are real? You wanted to take a look at the fearsome monsters that kidnap little children to turn them into emotionless killing machines? Sorry to disappoint you, but it´s only me."

"On the contrary. I am very delighted to meet you."

"Why?"

"When I heard the stories and how nobody has seen any of you in the last decades, I assumed you were all dead. I was prepared to examine some ruins for a long time to find even a single shred of information. But to meet one of you alive is a huge stroke of luck for me. There are so many things I wanted to investigate here, but now I can simply ask you."

"So, you have questions you want answers for?"

"Many."

"That fits with me. I have some questions of my own."

"How about this, we take turns in asking the other questions?"

"Sounds good."

"I will let you take the first turn."

"Thank you. May I be frank with my questions?"

"I don´t mind."

"It´s not so much you I am concerned about."

As Geralt said that, he looked at Mare a little bit worried.

"I understand. Mare, you will overlook any rudeness."

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

"Is now everything alright?"

"Yes, thank you. You said you were the king of a nation in the south. I was simply wondering why you are here in person. You don´t fit in my expectations of a noble."

"How did you imagine a noble?"

"Most nobles I have heard of are selfish, stupid, incompetent and arrogant. They don´t care about anything else than themselves. They take what they want without any considerations and are easily offended. My master told me about his encounters with nobles. That´s why I don´t like nobles, especially kings."

"To answer your question, I was simply curious. I take a certain joy in exploring places like this to seek for knowledge and experience. Now it´s my turn. I would like to know, what happened here?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, I don´t want to be rude, but it seems this place has seen better times. The walls, the yard and the buildings are not very well maintained. You said you were here alone, but this building is meant for around 100 people. I heard stories how the Witchers were a powerful guild with many strong fighters. I just want to know how it turned out like this."

Without lifting his eyes Geralt answered with a weak and sad voice,

"What is there to tell, we were once an influential group, now we are not."

"You promised to answer."

"Yes, but it is not a very interesting story. At our peak, we counted around 90 members. The Witchers were widely known and respected. People would come from far-away places to seek our help and some of us traveled around to search for knowledge. But that changed around 400 years ago. Some of the rising nations of that time, especially the Slane Theocracy, made it their purpose to discredit us and spread rumors about us. Our back-hold in the population slowly dwindled and we became despised and feared. That alone would not have been enough to reduce us to this state. What really dealt us a blow, have been the repeating assassinations and hunts. The Theocracy were very eager to kill us. They think of us as abominations. As I was taken in by my master, there have been three Witchers here. One of them was killed before I could remember him. The second one stopped returning to the fortress, so he is probably dead, too. For the last ten years, it was only my master, who was left. Around that time, he turned me into a Witcher. I think he couldn´t stand the thought of being alone. We tried our best to keep this place in shape, but as you mentioned, it is meant for 100 people. It was impossible for only the two of us. And now, after my master´s death, I am the only one left."

"I am sorry for your loss. I assure you, it was not my intention to make you remember something bad."

"It´s OK, I offered to answer the questions."

"That´s everything for my first question. Now it´s your turn again."

"What is the name of your species?"

"Why are you so interested in that?"

"It´s professional curiosity. The Witchers have collected information and knowledge of every species they encountered. I learned everything in our library, but I have never heard of someone like you. To be honest, it´s rather depressing. Not having anything about such a powerful being as you make our whole effort look bad."

"Then allow me to help you. My species is called Overlord. Have you ever heard of them?"

"Not that I know of, but I will check the library to make sure."

"This library you mentioned, may I take a look at it?"

"I´m not sure if I should let you. It´s the fruit of the collective labor of all my ancestors. Normally, no outsider is allowed to look at it. Can I think about it for a while?"

"I won´t pressure you. It is your property. If you don´t want me to, I won´t force you. Back to the topic. I think it´s my turn again. When we met, you didn´t seem to be afraid of me very much. Not that I want to complain. I wanted to have a friendly talk after all. But I also know, that you are professional monster hunters. Nevertheless, you seemed rather friendly. Why?"

"That´s a difficult question. First of all, we Witchers aren´t monster hunters. In fact, we don´t even like the word monster for other species."

"Why so?"

"Monster has a very negative meaning, often used to insult others or lump a whole bunch of bad creatures together. In our view, a monster is not determined by the species, but rather the actions."

"It´s not the outside that makes a monster, but the inside?"

"That´s a good way to phrase it. Furthermore, killing dangerous species is not our first choice. If possible, we negotiate with intelligent species or try to drive unintelligent ones away. Killing is only the last option. If you had been a minor undead with no intelligence, I would have probably fought you. But there are two points. One, you are clearly a higher undead able to reason, so that makes fighting immediately the second choice. Second you are extremely powerful, so I don´t think I would stand a chance against you. In fact, fighting you would have even reduced my surviving possibilities."

"What do you mean by that? How do you know, I am stronger than you?"

Ainz seemed to ask in a rather casual way, but on the inside, he was quite nervous.

(How can he be so sure of my strength? I made sure to check my anti-divination measures. It should be impossible to determine my strength.)

"My medallion told me."

As Geralt said that, he lifted up the pendant hanging from his neck. It was a wolf head baring its teeth.

"It´s a magical item that warns me in present of danger and magic. When I met you and Mare, it reacted stronger than I thought was possible."

"That´s very impressive. I have never heard of an item like that. May I take a closer look?"

"Sure"

He took it off and gave it to Ainz. Ainz casted an appraisal spell on it, but seemed rather disappointing.

"That´s weird, I can´t detect any magical properties from it. How does it work?"

"The reason is probably the creation process. Every Witcher has to make it himself and use his blood in the process. That way, it can´t be used by anyone else."

"That´s very convenient. So, by the reaction of that medallion, you could tell it was a bad idea to fight me?"

"Yes."

"Now I have to know, how strong do you perceive me to be?"

"The Witchers don´t have a difficulty rating like the adventurers. We describe the difficulty by the amount of money we would demand for the contract. A goblin is worth 1 silver coin, a lesser vampire would go for around 10 gold coins."

"So, how much am I worth?"

After a brief pause in which Geralt looked at Ainz from head to toe, he said with a devious smile.

"I don´t think anyone in this world has enough money for a contract like this."

Ainz´s nonexistent face turned into a bright smile.

"Onto my next question. Mare, a dark elf, called you his king. I have not yet figured out what your maid is, but I´m sure she isn´t human. There are several other creatures hiding in the shadows and you are accompanied by a human from the Baharuth Empire. Why?"

"That´s simple. I value diversity. In my eyes, everyone is equal, as long as he serves me. Therefore, I have a lot of different species as my citizens. From the way you are talking, it seems to be to your liking."

"As long as it works."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In the past, several nations tried to achieve equality among different species, but sooner or later they all failed. Some got destroyed by outside forces, others crumbled from within. Sometimes one of the groups feels like they deserve more. More wealth, influence, food or whatever. Then they will stage a coup d'état. What you are doing is admirable, but the slightest error can destroy it."

"I can assure you, I do everything necessary to prevent that. That´s one of the reasons I am here today."

"How can that help?"

"The first thing necessary to maintain the peace of my nation and the security of my children is power. Without power, I couldn´t protect my country from outside forces. To be a ruler I must be strong. It is my duty to make my nation prosper. If my nation prospers, so will the citizens. When all my citizens have a good life, nobody will have reason to complain or seek revolution."

"That´s true. I hope you will achieve your goal."

"Maybe you can help?"

"If I can, I will."

"My next question might be a bit complicated. You said, your master turned you into a Witcher. How did he do that?"

"You are asking me to reveal one of our biggest secrets. Why should I tell you?"

"I can understand why you are hesitant. You don´t know me after all, so you have no reason to trust me. There is not much I can do. Just let me tell you one thing. I have no intentions of misusing that knowledge. I only want to improve my knowledge of this world and possible threats. I want to strengthen my people to help them protect themselves. I just want to know them in safety."

Geralt quickly emptied another glass. He was clearly struggling. It appeared like he wanted to tell the Sorcerer King, but on the other hand, he felt guilty.

"It´s not like I don´t want to help you, but I can´t. It´s not only a secret of the Witcher Guild. This process makes us to what we are. The Witcher protected this knowledge for over 1000 years and now, it is my duty. I am the only one left. This is not only a base or a fortress, it is my home. The Witchers are the only family I have ever known. It feels like I would betray them. I know it sounds stupid to protect a place, nobody will ever return to. I never experienced our guild during its prime, but sometimes I can imagine what it must have been like. It´s hard to explain, but I have to do my best, to protect the Witcher´s legacy."

Ainz felt like a wave of melancholy and sorrow hit him. He remembered all the days with his friends in the guild. The way, they treated him better than any person he knew in real life. The fun they had together, building the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The heated arguments between Touch Me and Ulbert. He could see everything he experienced, as his friends slowly stopped coming back, in this young man. He knew exactly, how he felt. As his emotion suppression kicked in, he got rather annoyed.

"I know how you feel. You feel like it´s your responsibility. You hope for the good old days to return. You wish to see the guild in its former glory and you want to make your friends and family proud. But let me tell you this. It won´t happen. You can´t turn back time. You can´t change what happened. They will never come back. And you won´t be able to maintain this place all on your own."

The room fell dead silent. Nobody dared to speak and it seemed like time stood still.

"But there is one thing you can do. You can go forward. You can´t change the past, but you can influence your future. You told me about your master, how he raised you and cared for you, just like a father would. I´m sure he didn´t wish for you to be alone for the rest of your days, stuck in a place with an impossible task. He would like to see you happy, to see the world and life a meaningful life. You have to look for new ways. Sticking to the old rules won´t help you protect their legacy. Those were rules for a different time. You may be the last Witcher, but that also means, it is up to you, to change these rules. You can make your family proud, by renewing the Witchers."

"Maybe you are right. I will not achieve anything by following the old rules. There is nobody to oppose me, so I can change the rules like I wish. But renewing the guild? That seems like an equally impossible task."

Ainz could sense Geralt was about to give in. Now he only needed to push him over the edge, to fully convince him.

"I can help you with that. You could come under my rule, share your knowledge and abilities with me and I will do the same."

It seemed like the life came back into Geralt´s eyes. He looked like he couldn´t believe how lucky he was.

"If what you are saying is true, I would gladly accept and help you. But there is still one issue. What do you need my abilities for? Clearly you have much stronger subordinates like me."

"That might be true, but I don´t intend to send you to do battle with enemies. You could help me in a different way. I intend to send adventurers to turn the unknown into the known. For that purpose, I traveled to the empire to recruit young people, wishing to become adventurers. I want you to teach them your abilities."

"Sure, I could do that, but I don´t think that would be very useful. It took me nearly twenty years to reach my current level of abilities. I was able to do that, because my master started my training as soon as I could walk. Older people tend to learn at a slower pace. It could take them nearly thirty years to learn the Witchers abilities."

"That problem can be easily solved. Adventurers travel in teams. They cover for each other's weaknesses. They don´t have to learn everything. Everyone just learns, what they are suitable for. You would teach the front-line fighters your sword arts, the rangers your track-reading and the magic casters your knowledge on magic. They don´t have to match your abilities. I just want to prepare them with the necessary basics. After all, even a life-long training can´t replace firsthand experience. How long would it take to teach them the basics?"

"Maybe, if I reduced the training to the minimum and split it up between three to four individuals... I think it would take around 1-1,5 years, depending on the individual talents."

"That seems like a reasonable time, given that many adventurers take many years to hone their skills. In return I will help you to return the guild to its former glory. First, I would like to send some of my citizens to rebuild this fortress. I can dispatch a group of dwarven craftsman and undead laborer to repair it. Until summer, it can be finished. In the next step, I would like to chop down a part of this forest to establish a village. Its only purpose would be to provide you and the adventurers with food and other needs. You would be formally under my rule, but you would govern this domain independently."

"Like a noble?"

"I know you have some aversions towards nobles, but I like to see them as the first servant of the state, responsible for the people."

"I think I would like that."

"Great. I would like to make it official, but I don´t have the paperwork with me. I will send one of my servants to do this."

Geralt stood up and held out his hand to Ainz. He now had a happy expression and his eyes sparkled with hope.

"I am very grateful for your offer. I will gladly accept."

Ainz shook his hand and replied

"I think this will be a huge success for the both of us."

"I think I was wrong about your kind."

"You have changed your opinion on undead?"

"No... On kings."

Mare seemed to be very happy how this person started to admire his master. Leinas was perplexed and couldn´t really think at all. Ainz appeared to be calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was celebrating and thankful for this stroke of luck.

"I am sorry, but I would like to return to my previous question."

"Of course, you are right. I will explain it to you, but I think it will be easier to do so in the lab. There I can show you the necessary materials. On this occasion I will show you around and explain the other parts of the fortress. But before we start, can I ask one last question?"

"Sure"

He pointed at Leinas and asked

"Why did you bring a cursed woman with you?"


	11. Chapter 3 Mirror Image Part 2

Leinas immediately checked, if her hair was still covering her face. She always made sure to hide it very good. How could he know?

"What did you do to my body, while I was unconscious?"

Geralt was visibly flustered, as he tried to defend himself.

"No, no, no, no. I did nothing like that. I would never act that inappropriately towards anyone. I could feel a weak reaction coming from my medallion. At first, I was not sure, if it was some of your equipment. Then it was overwhelmed by his majesty's presence. Only during our conversation here, I figured it out. The only possible source of magical energy is a curse."

Leinas began to calm down, as she heard his explanation. Ainz got curious, as he listened to him.

(A curse? I had no idea. What kind of curse could it be? I have heard of curses before, but there was no mechanic like that in Yggdrasil. Is it a magic native to this world? Or is it something else? What should I do? Should I pretend to have known from the beginning? But I really want to know more about this. I should probably ask him about it.)

"A curse?"

"Oh, I see. It was meant as some kind of test. You wanted to verify the Witchers´s abilities, before allowing me to join you?"

"Let's say, you could be right. So, what can you tell me about it?"

"Much more important, can you cure me?"

Leinas couldn't hold back her excitement and exploded. She has searched far and wide for a possibility to get rid of this burden. Nobody was able to help her. But right now, right in front of her was a person, who knew something about it. She sure as hell wouldn't let this chance slip.

"First, I would like to take a closer look. May I?"

Leinas closed her eyes and nodded. Geralt gently brushed away her strain of hair. Now it was clearly visible. The right half of her face was outright disgusting. Barely any skin was covering the flesh of her face. It has turned necrotic-black on several places, and the rest was covered in pus-secreting bumps. Her eyelid was nearly nonexistent, so she couldn't close it. The difference between her right and left side was like day and night.

"The roots go very deep. It should be 10 years ago when it first appeared. Probably around your twelfth birthday. It started as a scratch at you check and got worse over time. It doesn't respond to healing magic or potions."

Ainz couldn't help but ask

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"Not directly. I have only seen it in a book. But I am pretty sure it is a mark of envy."

"What does that mean?"

"That means, the source of this curse is a person´s envy. The fact that your face has been targeted is a proof of that."

"I guess what she means is, how can envy turn into a curse. Maybe you should explain it in simple terms. Simple enough for children to understand it."

Normally, Leinas would be offended by being treated like a child, but right now, she was thinking about other things. Geralt thought of it as a test, whether he could explain and teach his knowledge to less educated people and if he was fit to be an instructor for adventurers. Of course, Ainz motives were less deep. He simply tried to understand it himself by using his usual play "I let you explain it to the others."

"I will try to explain it as good as possible. At first you have to understand the difference between magic and curses. Magic is a controlled phenomenon, caused by a magic caster to bend reality to his will. Curses on the other hand can be caused even by non-magic casters."

"How is that possible?"

"Have you ever heard of ancient magic, or as you call it wild magic?"

"It's magic wielded by the Dragon Lords, right?"

"Well, yes and no. It is true that the dragon lords are the most prominent users of this magic, but others can use it too. Witchers for example, can use a small amount of that magic. It uses the natural magical energy, flowing in this world. Some species, Dragon Lords and us included, can feel the flow of this energy. That way, we can draw upon its power to use our magic. The amount of energy that can be used at once is limited by species and talent."

"What has that to do with curses? You said they were different from magic."

"Imagine the magical energy as water. It flows in rivers, remains in lakes and sometimes, it rains down on the earth. On extremely rare occasions, we are talking about a once in several years event, this rain forms puddles. These puddles are usually very short-lived, only a few hours at most. Then the energy disappears. But as long as these puddles are on the surface, they can be accessed. If a person with strong feelings comes across it, it can react on them. If a soldier on a battlefield feels hope and wishes to return to his family, it can keep him safe. Arrows will miss him and he can escape death. This will seem natural and nobody, not even the person in question, will notice it. But if a person that holds very strong negative emotions in his heart happens to pass by such a puddle, the results can be very problematic. If the hate, envy or fear are directed at another living creature, it can be cursed. Depending on the nature of the emotions, the curse can cause bad luck, pain, injury of even death at some times. In your case, your face has been targeted. That's why I think of envy as the motive."

"That explains the how. But can you cure it?"

"That's hard to say. You have been suffering for a long time. The longer a curse lasts, the harder it is to remove. Basically, there are two ways to lift a curse like that. The first one is to die."

"What?"

Ainz and Leinas exclaimed unison.

"The curse uses the victim´s life-force to last. As soon as your life-force is used up, the curse will lose its source of power and fade."

"You mean the curse dies with its victim?"

"Yes."

"You said, there was another way?"

"The second way is much harder."

"Are you saying, dying is the easy method?"

"For the second method, you have to find the origin of the curse. The person that caused it. See, the emotions link the curse to the origin. That makes it possible to reflect the curse back at him or her and free you. We can do that, by conducting a special ritual. For it to work, you have to sit across of him or her and recite magic words."

"What if I can't find this person? What if that person is already dead?"

"In both cases, you would be unable to be freed."

A complicated mix of emotions went across Leinas face. On the one hand, she had found the first solid hint on how to achieve her goal. On the other hand, she was worried all her efforts so far could have been for nothing. Geralt could see her worries.

"Maybe there is another way I can help you. But that depends on..."

"On what?"

"On how much pain you are willing to endure."

"I will endure whatever is necessary."

Leinas had a very stern and convincing look on her face. All the worries she felt a second ago seemed to have been lie.

"This method will not lift the curse, but it can suppress its effects. Please wait here for a minute. I will be right back."

Geralt left the dining hall. After a short while he returned, holding a small bottle in his hand. The liquid in it was green. 10 of 10 people would identify it as poison.

"This bottle contains a mixture of mandragora, nightingale roots, leaves of the Biran tree and some other ingredients. It will feel like a glowing piece of iron has been put on your face, but it will return your appearance to a natural state. At least for a while."

"How long?"

"I don't know. Curses like these are extremely rare, so I have never experienced its use. I can't say for sure. Something between 10 to 14 days at most. After that, your face will return to its cursed state. The problem comes if you want to use it again. Every use requires more of this elixir. At one point, you won´t be able to take it and die."

"l don't care. I said I would do everything, so stop wasting my time and get started."

"OK. It's your first time, so a few drops should be enough. Please hold still."

Carefully, Geralt let three drops of the green potion fall on Leinas' face. For the first few seconds, nothing worse happened, than some light stinging.

"Is that all? You made it sound like it would be terrible. It seems like you were exagg..."

Then it hit her like lightning.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah"

"That´s it."

Her screams echoed through the hall. She fell to the ground, unable to remain standing. The pain was worse than anything she could imagine. It felt like her skull was being crushed. The feeling of her burning flesh being ripped of her face was at least somewhat bearable. The worst part was in her right eye. It could be best described as being gauged out with a rusty spoon, while glowing pieces of coal were placed in the eye socket. She lay on the ground, screaming and kicking, holding her face in agony. Geralt was standing next to her, crossing his arms and apparently unfazed. Ainz asked in a concerned tone

"That looks very painful. Will she be alright?"

"That depends solely on her. If she can withstand the pain, her curse will be suppressed."

"How long will it take?"

"It should be over in one or two minutes."

As if following Geralt's predictions, Leinas seemed to calm down. She was still laying on the ground, but her breathing got calmer and her screams stopped. Geralt helped her to stand up, since she was unable to do it on her own. Exhaustion was written all over her face. Before she could muster the strength to ask for the results, Geralt picked up one of the metal plates laying on the table. He held it in front of her, so she could see the reflection. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but she wasn't immediately able to comprehend what she saw. The mirror image she saw was... normal. No necrotic flesh, no puss and no half rotten eyeball. Just a normal face with pretty features and hair wet from sweating. She couldn't believe it. She genuinely smiled from one ear to the other, as tears rolled down her cheeks. In the next instant, she collapsed. Geralt caught her and laid her carefully on the ground.

"Is she alright?"

Asked Ainz.

Geralt grabbed her wrist to check her pulse.

"No worries. She just passed out from the exhaustion. I think we should let her rest for a while. I will bring her in one of the beds upstairs, so she can sleep."

He picked her up and carried her up the stairs. As soon as he left, Mare said to Ainz

"Excuse me, Ainz-sama, but I have to say, how incredible you are."

"What do you mean?"

"To be able to foresee the empires actions to such a degree is truly amazing. You manipulated the emperor to send this woman, so you could test the Witchers abilities. Furthermore, you manipulated him masterfully into accepting you as his master."

"Ahem, yes. It is as you described it. Well done for understanding my plan. You did a very good job in convincing him to talk to me. I think you deserve a reward for it."

"I don't need a reward. Being praised by you makes me really happy, so I don't need another reward. And I didn't need to convince him. He was very friendly and helpful from the beginning."

"By the way, what do you think about him?"

"I think he is clever to immediately surrender to your grace, Lord Ainz."

"And about his character?"

"He seems to be honest. He spoke his mind freely but remained respectful. I think he is a nice guy."

"Do you like him?"

"He seems to be a good person."

"If you think he is a good person that is enough. He will be serving the Sorcerer Kingdom from now on. I hope he will get along with you and the other guardians. I plan to have him supervised for the first time. Because you two seem to get along well, I want him to report to you. He will govern this place by himself, but if you think corrections are necessary, don't hesitate to inform me."

"Wouldn't that make him, something like an area guardian?"

Mare asked in a timid voice

"No. This title is reserved for the residents of Nazarick. Maybe we should think of a title for servants coming from this world. Do you have suggestions?"

Mare was silent as he thought about it.

"I-I don't think this is a good idea."

"You don't have to worry. I was asking for your advice, because I value your ideas. You are intelligent and kind."

"Then how about 'Native Guardian', since these people are native to this world?"

"That is an excellent idea. From now on, we will use the term Native Guardian."

"For what?"

The voice belonged to Geralt, who just returned.

"Well, we were thinking of a new title for you. You will be serving my country from now on, so I thought you would need an official job description."

"And you picked Native Guardian? Why?"

"A Guardian is a protector. There are several Guardians among my people, Floor and Area Guardians are responsible for most of the important missions within my country. Whatever happens, you will have to protect and serve not only your domain, but also the Sorcerer Kingdom. I explained earlier, how a noble should be the first servant of a state. That's basically what it means, to be a Guardian."

"In that case, I will gladly accept this honor. I am very grateful for your trust. I just hope I can live up to your expectations."

"I have no doubt you will be a very valuable ally. But don't forget, I am also helping you in return. Take it as some sort of payment or compensation for your services. After all, hard work should be repaid. So, if you need something, don't hesitate to ask for it. I thought of Mare to be your direct subordinate. You will send him reports regularly."

"What kind of reports?"

"How the training of the adventurers progresses, the status of the town I am going to build and of course the condition of the fortress and its defensive abilities."

"Do you expect an attack on this place?"

"I don't know, but only a fool would not prepare for the worst. Because I am an undead, I have many enemies in this world. A lot of people would like to see me dead. Some see me as the incarnation of evil, because of what I did. I don't plan to keep this a secret. Because you are going to interact with my citizens, it would be pointless. Last year, in the war with the Re-Estize Kingdom, I killed many humans with my magic."

"I can't say I like it, but I cannot judge you for that. I myself have killed many times. To judge you for that would be hypocrisy. In a war, it's kill or be killed. Nobody can expect you to sit on the battlefield and let yourself be killed. As much as I dislike war, I know it sometimes cannot be avoided."

"You are very understanding. But that is only a part of potential enemies. People with a personal grudge are relatively easy to deal with. Others disagree with me for ideological reasons. Fanatics cannot be convinced and can be extremely dangerous. They oppose not only me, but also my ideals."

"What are those ideals?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't told you yet. My dream is to build a nation, where many different species can live in harmony. I want them to coexist and prosper. But that can only happen, if they are protected and safe. Therefore, I have to prepare."

"I understand. I am happy to help you with that. But I would like to say one more thing, if I am allowed to."

"Sure."

"Everybody who judges people not by their actions, but for what they are born as, is scum. I don't think of you as an undead, but as a great king and I will fight and even die for your cause."

"Let's hope that will not be necessary."

"If I remember correctly, I wanted to show you around."

"Yes, that would be nice. I am sure, I can learn many interesting things. What do you want to show me?"

"I don't think that our training grounds or the kitchen are very exciting for you, so we should skip these. There are three places that might interest you. The laboratory, the library and the vault. You previously asked about our transformation, so I will lead you to the laboratory first and explain it in detail. After that, I will show you the library and tell you more about our education and codex. At the end, I will let you enter the vault. The vault contains our most valuable possessions and is very well hidden."

"I am very excited. Seems like you planned our tour pretty well."


	12. Chapter 3 Mirror Image Part 3

The room Ainz and Geralt had entered, was filled with countless bottles and boxes, containing alchemical ingredients. Parts of plants and animals, minerals and metals, alcohol and oils filled shelves on each side of the room. At the center was a table. The equipment seemed to have been gathering dust for quite a while.

"It seems like you have gathered lot of ingredients, but you haven't been using them."

"There was no need to. My master and I still hadn't used up all the finished potions. There was no point in making more. Plus, I am not very good with this alchemy stuff."

He put the small bottle with the curse-suppressing potion back into his place.

"So, let me explain how I became a Witcher."

Geralt walked to one of the cabinets and opened it with a creaking sound. The bottle he took out was huge. At least 5 liters fitted in it. It was filled to the half with a crimson liquid.

"It has the color of blood."

"Because it is."

"What?"

"It is blood. That's, what turns us into Witchers."

"Could you please explain that?"

"I will try. But first I have to say, I am not 100% sure how true this story is. It's the story my late master has told me and it might have been exaggerated over the last centuries."

"It can't be helped if you don't know the details. It's enough to know the major events."

"This story took place nearly 1000 years ago. The first Witcher was born as a regular human being. No special abilities, no magic. Just a plain, normal human. During that time, humans were often preyed on by demi-humans and other dangerous creatures. In order to protect himself and his loved ones, he trained his fighting abilities very hard. Soon he was known as the best fighter far and wide. On one particular day, his village was attacked by a large pack. Different species banded together to attack them. Our ancestor fought with everything he got, but in the end, he was just human. He managed to defeat the opponents but was severely injured. He nearly died and some even say he was dead for a while. He was unconscious for three days. As he woke up, he could feel something had changed. Despite having been on the brink of death not long ago, he felt stronger than ever before. He could hear, see and smell much better than before the incident and his injuries had already healed. He didn't know, what had happened to him. After remembering the events of the attack, he came to the conclusion that the blood of the different creatures entered his bloodstream through the injuries, but instead of killing him, it changed him. He thought it was the work of gods. Later Witchers theorized, he must have been a talent-holder. This talent probably made it possible to assimilate certain non-human genes. He was so excited to have found a way to strengthen the human body, he told it to everybody who would listen. Very soon, many volunteered to do the same. They wanted to be strong, to protect their families. An alchemist who lived in the same village took his blood and isolated the part of it that made the mutation possible. It was named Mutagen. He mixed it with blood of species he thought of useful. Some of the blood came from other humanoids like elves. That's why we live for a long time. Not as long as elves, but significantly longer than humans. That way, it was possible to inject it into other humans to mutate them. The alchemist thought he had created a miracle. Unfortunately, it didn't go well. All of the volunteers died. He couldn't accept the failure, so he kept experimenting. Through trial and error, he came to three conclusions.

One: only males are able to become Witchers, probably because the origin of the Mutagen was a male.

Two: The amount of properties than can be implemented into a human is limited and varies between individuals. That's also the reason every single one of us is different in his abilities. For example, my master had a better night vision than me, but my poison resistance is higher than his.

Three and probably the most terrible one: Only children under the age of ten have a chance of survival."

"Children?"

"It seems to be connected to puberty. If the mutation is triggered before adolescence, the young boys can adapt to their new bodies and survive. Unfortunately, the survival rate is only one out of ten. Despite the odds, many young boys wanted to become Witchers, especially the second or third-born saw it as an opportunity. So, they left their old families and became a part of the Witcher family. Because we share the blood of our founder, we are literally blood relatives."

"What about the children of the Witcher? If their fathers survived the mutation, they should be able to handle it as well."

"That's what my ancestors also thought, but there is a problem. Witchers can't have children. We are sterile."

"Maybe it is because you are no longer a human. It might be impossible for you to have children with a human woman."

"That could be true, but woman can't become Witchers. In all our history, no Witcher ever had a child. And believe me, they tried very hard."

"What does that mean?"

"Let me phrase it like this: Apart from enhanced strength and magic, the mutations also made us very lively."

"You mean..."

"Sex. Our stamina also extends to that aspect."

Grateful he couldn't blush, Ainz tried to change the topic.

"So, this bottle contains the blood of your ancestor?"

"More like the refined Mutagen but yes. This is his blood and by injecting it into a human, he will either die a horrible, painful and slow death or became a Witcher in an equal horrifying way."

"Is it that bad?"

"It feels like every fiber of your body is constantly being ripped apart while fire is running through your veins. Remember what happened to Leinas? Now imagine it lasting several hours and you have a rough idea of what it is like."

"Why did your master do this to you?"

"I asked him to."

"Why?"

"I admired him. He has taken me in after my mother... No, I should not say it like this. My only real parent ever was Vesemir. The person who gave birth to me abandoned me in the forest and left me to die. Vesemir saved me from death. He raised me and taught me everything I know. For me, he was a hero. I wanted to be like him. He tried to convince me not to do it, but I was very ... persistent."

"It´s understandable. Every young man aspires to become like his idol and a father would be very proud to have such a strong-willed son."

Ainz could see a faint smile on Geralt's face

"I have heard of the Witcher´s incredible abilities, but can you please summarize them for me?"

"As I mentioned before, every Witcher has different strong and weak points. But all of us share the same spectrum. Enhanced strength, speed and stamina. Night Vision. Poison Resistance. Sharpened senses. Access to wild magic. Health regeneration. Disease immunity. A long life-span. Combined with our training, we are able to control our heartbeat."

"That sounds rather impressive."

"Only if you don't consider how much these abilities have deteriorated."

"Deteriorated?"

"Remember when I said our long life-span is a result of elven blood being mixed with the Mutagen? Our life-span is nowhere near that of elves. They can live up to 1000 years. The longest a Witcher has lived is 300 years. Our enhanced strength and health regeneration are the result of Troll genes, but neither of them is as impressive."

"That's true. I have seen Trolls recover from being turned into minced meat."

"The best our regeneration can accomplish is making us harder to kill."

(So, they basically got the watered-down abilities of several species. in Yggdrasil that would have been a pointless effort. Half-assed abilities were useless. Neither his stats nor special abilities would be strong enough to challenge the NPCs. But compared to this worl´s' standards, he might be a super-human. If you take his training into account, he might be able to defeat enemies several levels stronger than him. Maybe around 40? I think I should test this out later. I would like to see, if he is able to defeat a Death Knight.)

"I think it is impressive. Being able to cast magic, while being a good fighter is rare."

"Our weapon of choice is the sword. We can use magic, but it is very limited. In fact, we can use only five spells."

"Only five?"

As Ainz said this, Geralt got a little bit depressive. He felt like he disappointed him.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. It is good to concentrate on your specialty. But it doesn't hurt to have something to surprise your opponent. Even if it is weak or limited, it can become a trump card. What are those spells?"

"The first one is Aard. This spell produces a shockwave. The next one is lgni, a fire spell. Then there is Axii, a mind-affecting spell. Yrden is able to slow down an enemy. The last one, Quen, protects the caster from negative status effects for a few seconds. Their strength can be adjusted, to fit the task at hand."

"That's a good arsenal you have there. It seems like you can beat a variety of enemies with it."

"Even with full strength, they can only rival third tier spells. That's why my ancestors developed this potions and other items, to increase our fighting strength."

"What else do you have?"

"First we have the Witcher potions. They only work on the human body, but are incredibly toxic. So, they require a high poison resistance to not kill you immediately. At the same time, they don't work on non-human creatures who have a natural resistance."

"So, they are for Witcher-only use?"

"Yes."

"That's very handy. You don't have to worry about enemies stealing them, since they are useless for them."

"This one here is called 'Schwalbe'. It increases our health regeneration for 5 minutes but unfortunately it doesn't have an instantaneous effect like normal potions. 'Thunder' increases our strength and speed, but consumes a lot of stamina. They shouldn't be used at the same time or in rapid succession. They take a huge toll even on Witcher bodies. The last thing I want to show you here, are the bombs."

"Bombs?"

Geralt grabbed a small, fist-sized metal orb from his belt,

"These bombs contain different alchemical mixtures. One of it releases a poisonous gas, the second one spreads a cloud of silver dust. It's useful when dealing with undead or werewolves. The third one causes an explosion and contains small metal fragments to increase the damage."

"You have a big variety at your disposal. I can see now, why you were able to last a thousand years. You can adapt to many situations and prepare adequate counter-measures."

"I am grateful for your nice words, but our downfall can't be denied. Our guild has been in a steady decline since the Babylon event."

"The Babylon event?"

"Oh, I am sorry. Of course, you wouldn't know it under that term. That's simply what my ancestors called it. It's whatever caused everyone to understand every spoken language, 600 years ago."

"I always thought it was a strange phenomenon, but how has it affected you?"

"You earlier said you used the Tier magic system, correct?"

"Yes. I spent my whole life holed up in my place to study magic. So, I didn't immediately notice something like this happened."

Ainz tried to cover up his missing knowledge of this world. Everyone thought of him as a very old undead, so it would be strange for him to lack so much common knowledge. But it seemed like everybody was content with his explanation. At least, nobody bothered to look into it.

"Whatever it was, it didn't affect Tier magic. But wild magic was weakened by it. For this magic, you need to recite the ancient magic words. Those are not a simple spell. Every syllable has a deeper meaning and holds power. But by this translation, a lot is lost. It got so bad, nobody knows what the language even sounded like. Everyone hears every spoken word in the language he was raised in, but unfortunately, nobody was raised in the old language. That made the use of wild magic very hard. Only individuals that lived before the Babylon event know the sound of the magic words. I can still read and write the words, but I never heard them."

"I would be very interested in this."

"I think there should be one or two books on that topic in the library. Speaking of, should we continue the tour?"

"Yes, please."

While walking to the library, Ainz tried to digest what he just learned.

(600 years ago, something happened, that changed how language is perceived? And coincidentally, it happened when the first players arrived here? That is a major discovery. If they caused this to happen on a global scale, it is clear they must have used a World Item. So far, I only knew about the mind-controlling World Item. This one must have been a different one. But which one? It caused a change in the laws of the world. It must have been Ouroboros. Normally, you would ask the admins to change an aspect of the game. That's how we got locked out of our mines. To keep it at least a little bit fair, we were allowed to return after a month. The admins didn't follow the exact wishes, but changed them slightly. But in this world, there are no admins. Does that mean, there is no limitation to the changes? In the game, it was one of the twenty and single-use. After that it would vanish and randomly appear. Does this rule also apply to this world? Is it somewhere in this world or is it gone for good? There are so many things I have to look into. Just having confirmed the existence of another World Item was worth the trip.)

Soon they arrived before a wooden double door. Geralt pushed them open. Ainz saw at least a dozen bookshelves, filled with books. The room itself was rather plain, no decorations and because there was only one window, the room felt cramped. Ainz followed Geralt into the room. It was very dark, but thanks to his Dark Vision, Ainz didn't mind. Then he heard a snapping tone.

"Igni"

Several torches hanging on the wall were kindled. The room brightened up significantly.

"Was that your magic?"

"Yes. The fire spell lgni can be used with different amounts of energy. By snapping I can cause sparks and set things on fire. With more strength I can attack an opponent directly."

"Interesting. I would like for you to show me more of it later."

"With pleasure."

Now Ainz turned his attention to the contents of the room. The only things in the room besides the shelves were two tables, a couple of chairs, a box filled with writing utensils and a strange looking globe. It was one larger orb, with a ring holding nine smaller ones around it. The plate said "Conjunction of Spheres". At first, Ainz wanted to ask for an explanation, but he decided against it. He didn't want to appear too unknowing. He thought of it as a model of this world´s solar system. He looked at the shelves.

"It seems like you have quite the collection here, but I haven't seen these books before."

"No wonder, every single one of them was written by one or more Witchers. They don't exist anywhere else."

Geralt seemed to be proud of his ancestor´s accomplishments. Ainz read the titles out loud

"Trolls, Goblins, Skeletons, Humans, Wyvern, Giant Criceta..."

Geralt avoided to look at Ainz, a little bit ashamed.

"We are not known to be very creative."

Without picking into the matter, Ainz took out the book titled Humans. On several pages were detailed drawings of the human anatomy. Not only the outer appearance, but also the structure and location of organs and blood vessels were clearly shown. Several diagrams explained the durability of bones and joints. Long reports on the lethal amount of blood loss or the effectiveness of poison filled chapters. All in all, this book was a manual on killing humans.

"Are all of these books like this?"

"Whenever a Witcher encountered a new species, he tried to learn as much as possible. That includes not only anatomy and behavior, but also culture and how to effectively fight them. Every book that is titled with a species name is like that. There are also some on the history of the surrounding nations, but they are further in the back. I have also read some books on crazy theories some Witchers believed in, but they were never my favorites."

"This place is perfect for studying. No distractions. Plus, it is very quiet here."

"A little bit too quiet, if you ask me. After 1 hour in here, it gets incredible boring. I remember how I often snuck out to go sword training. Vesemir would always scold me afterwards, but I suspect he let me go deliberately."

Geralt smiled, looking like he was thinking of pleasant memories. Ainz could see himself in this boy. Left alone with no friends or family. It was like looking into a mirror.

"Well, time to stop dreaming. I think I owe you one last place. Please follow me to the vault."

Hearing the word vault, Ainz curiosity skyrocketed. Looking into the loot was always his most favorite part of a quest. He knew he was expecting too much of this treasure chamber, but he couldn't help it. Remembering the past, he imagined big piles of gold, shining gems and magical items. Ainz tried desperately to stay realistic, to avoid disappointment. He followed Geralt into a long and dark corridor. At the end was a heavy metal door.

"It's not meant to be disrespectful, but could you please ...uhm... turn around?"

"I get it. You want the entrance to be kept a secret."

"Thank you."

As Ainz turned around Geralt started to go through his pockets.

(Crap. It's been years since I have last been here. I wish I paid more attention when Vesemir opened it. It must be here somewhere. Just which one is the right key? I mustn't embarrass myself in front of his majesty. If I mess this up, I will look totally incompetent. I must stay focused.)

Frantically, Geralt tried several keys, in search for the right one. Meanwhile Ainz, with his back to Geralt, could hear several knocking noises.

(It seems like the vault is protected with some kind of combination lock. Not bad. The wrong combination probably triggers a trap to keep intruders away. He doesn't want me to know, how it is opened. He tries to stay in control of this place.)

Suddenly, he heard a metallic clicking, followed by something heavy being moved. With a relieved tone, Geralt sighed and said

"Thanks for your patience. You can look now."

Ainz looked into the now open room and inspected the walls near the entrance.

(The trap is very well hidden. I can't see it. Maybe you need a special skill or class to notice it.)

As he suspected, it was nowhere near as impressive as he imagined. He couldn't see any gold or jewels. In one part of the room stood a shelf with two dozen scrolls on it. He couldn't detect any magic coming from it, so they weren't magic scrolls. He picked one up and examined it. It was written in the language used in the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire. As his adventurer persona Momon, Ainz had practiced reading and writing it, but he was not close to be fluent. With effort, he was able to get a rough idea of the content of the scroll. It was a promissory note.

"A long time ago, the Witchers accepted these instead of coins. Most of them are from famous noble families in the kingdom. They are over 100 years old, but they should still be valid. Unfortunately, we were unable to claim the money. We were not welcome anymore after fulfilling the contract."

"I can see why. That's quite a sum your ancestors were promised. It seems like they didn't want to pay them from the beginning. They baited the Witchers with incredibly large sums of money and convinced them to accept this as payments. Later they refused to pay."

"Another reason the Witcher never liked nobles."

As Geralt saw Ainz looking at him, he added

"Present ones excluded, of course."

"How much money are they worth?"

"All in all, around half a million gold."

Ainz put the parchment back on the shelve. Next to the scrolls was a small metal box. Inside he found another piece of paper, different from the others. The crest on it depicted two dragons, embracing each other. The writing was unknown to him.

"That's the proof we own this patch of land. Originally, this area belonged to the Argland Council State, but we were given ownership around 500 years ago. That's the certificate proofing our independence."

"That's the nation ruled by the Dragon Lords. What kind of relationship do you have with them?"

"None at all. I have never met them and I think, neither did my master."

"But why would they give you this land?"

"I never really thought much of it. I simply thought it was a payment for a contract."

"There are rumors going around, you would be servants of the Dragon Lords."

"Really? That's new for me. As I said, I have never met them. My master told me about them in my education, but that's it. He never told me of any connection with them at all."

"Seems to be just another silly exaggeration. What else can you show me?"

"This might interest you. It is not really powerful, but it is extremely rare. Maybe even unique."

Ainz could feel his collector spirit rise to new heights. It didn't matter to him if it was useful or strong. As long as it is rare, it has value. His must-have gene was triggered very hard. Geralt presented him two identical, small metal objects. They were shaped like cans. With a height of three centimeters and a diameter of six centimeters, they fit easily in his palm. The sides were richly decorated with flower-like symbols, while the top was engraved with a magic circle. Ainz took one of them and inspected it thoroughly from all sides.

"What is it?"

"I am very glad I found something to show you. It's no surprise you don't know it. They are no longer made. Because their production is very expensive, their use fell out of fashion 600 years ago. I think it would be easiest to show you. Please stay here and wait for my signal."

Geralt left the room. Ainz was wondering what this signal would look like until suddenly

"Can you hear me, your majesty?"

Ainz was surprised to hear Geralt's' voice coming from the item.

"Interesting. This seems to be a communication device. A magical item enchanted with something similar to the Message spell."

"You are correct. These items are called Xenogloss. They can transfer voices to any other Xenogloss, they are connected to."

Mid-sentence Geralt returned to the room. His voice was now strangely overlapping. He deactivated the item.

"In ancient times, they were used to communicate over large distances. After the use of the message spell was possible, they were net longer needed. The high production costs are only one flaw. The other one is, you have to connect two Xenogloss, before you can use them. That can only be done by placing them next to each other and they can only be connected to one at a time. If you want to reach a different one, you have to disconnect it first and reconnect to the new one. These two are probably the last ones and the method to create new ones is lost to the ages. However, they have one big advantage over the Message spell. It is impossible to intercept the message."

"That sounds really interesting. Such a feature is really useful. I myself take several countermeasures, to make sure my messages can't be eavesdropped, so I know how valuable this is."

Ainz wanted to give the Xenogloss back to Geralt, but he declined.

"I think you should keep it. I am sure you can make more use of it, than I can."

"I don't think I can accept such a gift."

"Then take it as a form of payment for what you have done for me. I think I owe you at least that much. Please take it, otherwise I can't feel at ease."

He gave Ainz the other one.

"In that case I will gladly accept."

The other items in this room were not really interesting for Ainz. There were some magic items, but they were only average for this world´s standard, trash for his standards. He looked around and stopped at a chest at the other end of the room. Ainz cast a spell

"Detect Magic Item"

He got a response from the contents of the chest.

"What is inside this box?"

"I think that should be the personal belongings of our founder. They were brought here after the fortress was build."

"May I take a closer look?"

"By all means"

Ainz opened the chest. At first, he could only see some old rags and pieces of rusty armor. Further down he found some letters with faded writings. Nothing special seemed to be inside. He cast the detection spell again. Now he could see the location of the item. It seemed to be inside the wooden planks of the chest. He knocked and could hear a hollow sound.

"There seems to be something hidden inside. Have you any idea what it could be?"

"Absolutely not."

Geralt came very close and was now literally looking over Ainz' shoulder

"Is it OK to break one of the planks?"

"Please do so. I am just as curious to know what is inside."

With Ainz strength it took him little effort to crack it open. What could be seen was a sword. Ainz tried to grab it, but was startled as he touched the hilt.

(What was that? It felt like a weak electric discharge when I touched it. It wasn't enough to cause pain and it didn't deal any damage. I know I can't equip swords because of my class restrictions, but touching them should be fine.)

"Maybe you should take it. It is yours after all."

Ainz watched carefully as Geralt reached for the sword. He basically was using him like a canary to test for danger. It didn't seem to do him harm as he picked it up without any signs of discomfort. He unsheathed it. The body of the sword emitted a pale blue light and was decorated with the same writings Ainz saw in the library.

"I can't believe it. I never believed the stories about this sword, but here it is. This light, these writings. It's undeniable. Aerondight."

"What's so incredible about this sword?"

"According to the legend, it was gifted to the first Witcher by a spirit. It should protect him from evil and be able to cut even dragon scales with ease. Generations of Witchers wasted their time, searching for it and you found it just like that. That confirms it. Even fate tells me to serve you."

With the last words Geralt went down on one knee and presented the sword to Ainz. Ainz was worried what would happen, if he touched the sword again. He would probably loose Geralt's loyalty, if his ancestor´s sword were to reject him. He secretly casted an appraisal spell on the sword.

(I have never seen anything like this before. I had the slight hope it would possess an ability similar to Gazef´s sword, but this is totally different. The stats are nowhere near enough to even scratch me, but it seems to be growing with its wielder. Just how strong can it get? I have never heard of the metal it is made from. Is it a substance that can be only found in this world? Dimmerit. According to what I can see, it seems to possess a durability slightly above adamantite. That would be nothing extraordinary, but what is with this restriction? It can only be wielded by the person it was given to. How is that even possible? Did the sword notice I wasn't its master and rejected me? But why does Geralt seem unfazed by it? He should be even more unable to touch it, since he has no damage nullification skills. Except... of course, the Mutagen. His ancestor´s blood is literally running through his veins. Is that enough to fool the sword´s restrictions? In that case, every Witcher would be able to equip it. I am sure the spirit who gave it away wasn't aware of such a possibility. He probably wanted to take it back after it became useless for them. As much as I want to, I can't take this sword. Not only is it completely useless, I can't even touch it. But he expects me to take it now.)

In that moment, Ainz had a brilliant idea.

"I think you should use that sword and proof your loyalty with it. A long time ago there was a custom, were a king would bestow a sword on a loyal knight. I think this is even better than. Confirming a contract with paper. Say Geralt, will you pledge your loyalty to the Sorcerer Kingdom? Do you swear to protect its citizens, with your life if necessary?"

"I swear."

"In that case, please rise. We have a lot of things to do. First, I would like to inform some of my people. They should know about this place and how I plan to improve it. I will also tell them to send the dwarfs I mentioned. They are capable craftsmen and will order the undead to return this place to its former glory."

"Of course, your majesty. In that case I will try to clean up some rooms. It wouldn´t be very hospitable to let your people rest in dirty rooms. If you will please excuse me."

On the ninth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick stood Demiurge, holding one hand at his temple. He was just receiving the last details of his masters' latest achievements by Mare. As soon as the spell ended, he was muttering under his breath.

"Unbelievable. He did it again. Just as I was about to look for a suitable candidate, he already created a perfect new pawn for me. How much has he foreseen my actions? I haven't even told him about my next step, but he already improved it. With this new information, I can apply even more pressure one these human fools. Did he know all along what he would find there? Just by hearing some rumors, he figured out the true value of this information. To think I didn't even pay attention, just because I thought of them as baseless speculations and nonsense. I am truly ashamed. Everyone is dancing in the palm of the supreme being´s hands. We are all just puppets, whose strings he pulls in majestic elegance. But there is one thing in particular. This new pet my master picked has some very interesting toys. I can't wait to get my hands on this Mutagen. There sure are enough little 'lambs´ eager to try it out."

Demiurges evil laughter echoed throughout the whole floor.

Happily, Geralt returned to the main hall. So much has happened today. In the morning, he didn´t thought the day could be anything else than terrible. He was putting his father to rest, after he was killed by assassins sent by the Slane Theocracy. He still knew the anger he felt, when he was interrupted by an intruder. Never would he have believed this could turn out to be a blessing. Thanks to this intruder, he met an incredible person. This magic caster was more powerful and more noble minded, than he ever thought possible. The fact he was an undead faded in comparison to his magnificence. For the first time, he felt genuine respect and admiration for a person not his master. This man was truly a king and Geralt would do everything to support him. That was the least he could do. After all, he was given something much more important. Hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a peaceful life, hope for the guild, he and his family protected for such a long time. Geralt couldn´t help but smile. He had a hard time to endure his excitement, so he decided to get some work done. Cleaning the rooms was an irritating task, but it had to be done. Afterwards he still couldn´t calm down. He went to the library to follow the usual procedure like every Witcher before him. He grabbed one of the empty books and began writing and drawing. The feather filled the pages with words faster than he thought possible. As his master taught him, his drawings were very accurate and detailed. The title of the new book

Overlord


	13. Chapter 4 Beginning Of The End Part 1

Meanwhile, the situation in the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom is the polar opposite of that in the Sorcerer Kingdom. Most people in the streets seemed to be depressed. Nobody walked with their heads hold high. Even the weather seemed to reflect the overall mood of the nation. It was raining pretty heavily. In addition to that a very harsh wind dug the cold deep into the citizen´s bones. Everybody who could afford it, would stay inside. Due to some resent events, many new residents moved to the city. They came from the city of E-Rantel that had been occupied by the Sorcerer Kingdom´s troops around a year ago. The trauma of the tremendous defeat the royal troops experienced by the hand of the Sorcerer King´s troops, or better, the Sorcerer King himself, was still fresh in everyone's memories.

The castle the royal Vaiself family resided in was impressive as usual. In the building´s highest floor, in the office of the king, the second prince Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself sat on his father´s desk. Due to his older brother gone missing on a mission to acquire information on the magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown and his father still grieving over the loss of his closest aid and right hand, Gazef Stronoff, and unable to perform his duties, Zanac became responsible for the kingdom´s affairs. Still prince in name, he practically took over the throne. Even though that was not made official, everybody knew it was only a matter of time. Therefore, a number of scribes was lined up before him, each holding several documents in their hands. Zanac wore a sour and depressed face as he contemplated over an urgent matter.

"So, it is getting worse."

All of the scribes wore similar expressions. They have been on this topic for almost two hours, after going over the numbers again and again, they came to that conclusions.

"I fear so, your majesty."

"I knew we were in a dire situation, but I didn´t know it was that bad."

"The yearly wars with the Empire during the farming seasons took a toll on our resources. We managed to get by with our storage and occasionally importing grain from the Holy Kingdom. But with Jaldabaoth orchestrating the invasion of the Demi-humans and the following destruction of nearly half the country, the Holy Kingdom is in no position to spare even a single bag, let alone enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people."

"Are there any other means of purchasing enough to prevent the worst?"

"It seems that our options are limited. With the Holy Kingdom out, our neighboring countries are not really known for generosity. The Empire is out of questions, since they caused this in the first place. The Council State and the Theocracy are problematic. If we were to engage in trade with either of them, the other one would see us as a potential enemy. Lastly the City-State Alliance is simply too far away and even if they were not, it is questionable, if they were able to produce enough."

"But there seem to be some traders that managed to get their hands on some large stocks of food. Is there any way to know, where they got it from?"

"It seems these gentlemen do not want to share their secrets with us. Therefore, some investigations were initiated."

"And?"

"In the past they were suspected of having connections of rather dubious reputation. Even illegal methods were indicated, but nothing solid. But that was before they started to import and sell large quantities of food. Since then, no ill word has been said about them. But their former actions imply a connection to a certain criminal organization."

"You are speaking of Eight Fingers. They have been quiet since the demonic disturbance, but it seems that they have started to recover from their heavy losses. Without evidence, these are just speculations. Still, that leaves the question, were they got it from. Eliminating all the impossible options that can only mean one thing. The Sorcerer Kingdom."

All the scribes present gasped in shock. It took them several seconds to recover from that.

"Does that mean, the Eight Fingers have a deal with that undead monster?"

"We can´t rule out that possibility. After they lost several assets when their hideouts were raided, they probably played it low for a while, waiting for an opportunity to regain their power and influence. They must have contacted them right after they took over E-Rantel to strike a deal with them. Maybe they promised him to sell all of his products. Now, when we are not able to sustain ourselves any more, they started. They use the Sorcerer Kingdom to tighten their grip on us and deepen their roots. If this continues for much longer, they will actually be too important to purge."

"Then maybe we should take them out right now once and for all."

"That would be difficult. If we were to arrest them right now, our whole country would fall into a huge famine. At this moment their imports are the only thing that keeps us going."

"So, what should we do then?"

"I will need to think for a moment. Leave me alone for now."

The scribes bowed respectfully before leaving the room. Now alone, Zanac began thinking.

(I hoped these criminals would stay hidden for a while longer, at least until I have sorted this mess out. But it seems these were just hopeful dreams. As long as they stay on the right side of the law there is not much I can do against them. But what troubles me even more is the possibility that they are in league with that undead. Recently, there have been rumors about his death, but I don´t know what to do with this information. Such a dangerous creature dying appears to be unlikely, but on the other hand the sources are trustworthy and the Sorcerer King himself hasn´t been seen for a while. Maybe that is the reason Eight Fingers approached them. They saw a chance to take advantage of the king being absent to make a deal with his underlings. It could be possible to import directly from them, eliminating the middle man. But that is a dangerous move. If the news of large-scale trading with the Sorcerer Kingdom got public, an uproar would be certain. The noble faction would use that to denounce the royal family. Luckily, they suffered as much damage as the royal faction, otherwise they would have already initiated a coup d'état. Right now, what is the most important is to find a way to prevent our people to starve to death. Marquis Raeven might know of a way to do this, but he had refused each summon to come the capital. He still hides in his domain. So, the only person capable of solving this would be my sister. As much as I would love to avoid talking to her, it seems there is no other way.)

Zanac sighed. He called for a servant and ordered him to deliver a message to his sister to meet him in his office. He didn´t like talking to his sister. Despite being the heir to the throne, he knew he was inferior to her in terms of intellect. But what disturbed him the most was her character. Every time he spoke to her, he felt a shiver running down his spine. He was always suspicious of her personality, but once he learned of her true face, he was terrified. Nevertheless, he had to remain his dignity.

The young girl appearing before him was his younger sister, Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself. Because of her beauty and her public appearance, she was adored as the golden princess. Zanac had to admit, her acting was flawless. She could pretend to care for her people and surroundings. The truth was, she couldn´t care less for them. It´s not like she hated them; she was indifferent towards them. Whether they lived or died was of no concern for her. The only reason she maintained this role was Climb. He was an orphan she picked up years ago and was now her bodyguard. She said she loved him, but for Zanac it was more like a perverted desire to control him. He felt sorry for him. He thought of ways to get rid of her, but right now, he needed her advice.

"Greetings, brother. How can I be of help?"

"There is an urgent matter I need to solve. Your advice could be helpful."

"Is it about the incoming famine?"

As usual, Renner managed to figure out the secrets she should not know of, just by assessing the few information she heard from the maids. Zanac tried to hide his surprise by maintaining a stern face.

"Yes. You might be aware of our situation. It has been getting worse over the last few years. We are currently in a situation, we can´t solve easily. With the Holy Kingdom in its current state, we are not able to import enough food to feed our population. At the current rate, our country will face a catastrophe in 4 months. To be honest, I am out of options and need your help to solve this crisis."

"I understand, brother. But do you really need my help?"

"What do you mean?"

"You probably already evaluated all existing options and came to the same conclusion as me. The only possible way to save your people is to engage in trade with the Sorcerer Kingdom. They are the only nation that is capable of providing enough to actually help. But you probably also recognized the problem. If you trade with the Sorcerer Kingdom on a national scale, you would offer the Noble faction a reason to openly attack you. Even in this state, most of our people might not be able to look past the fact that the Sorcerer Kingdom took part of our land and killed over 200.000 of our soldiers. On the other hand, if you don´t act and let your citizens starve, they will make you responsible for that. Either way, you will be their target. So, what you need, is not an advice on what to do, but on how to shift the blame for that decision."

Zanac remained silent. His sister´s insight frightened him. To be able to not only evaluate the current situation, but also his inner feelings, terrified him. He only nodded to signalize her to keep going.

"Some traders are already dealing with them. They are probably the remains of Eight Fingers trying to restore their power. Currently, they hold a monopoly, but don´t demand unreasonable prices. It seems like they don´t want to attract the resentments of the people. Maybe they prepare for a large-scale recruitment or something similar. Our first step should be, to improve our diplomatic relationship with the Sorcerer Kingdom. I think it would benefit you the most, to invite an emissary for further peace negotiations. As you might have noticed, several young nobles have stated a rather positive stand towards them. I am sure, some of them will approach the emissary during his stay. You should spread information, on how you plan to reward nobles who are able to provide the nation with a steady supply. They will sell directly to the royal family. Then you can distribute it among the population. If these nobles make deals with the emissary to import large quantities of food and sell them to you at a reasonable price, that could qualify for an award from you. That way, the nobles in question can raise their status and make profit by it. You on the other hand can feign ignorance to the source of it."

"But what stops them from demanding higher prices?"

"The contract they make with the Sorcerer Kingdom will prohibit them from doing so."

"Why should the Sorcerer Kingdom play along? And wouldn´t that be very suspicious?"

"For the first question: During the emissary´s stay, you will negotiate a secret deal with them. They will include this clause in their contract and you will make concessions in the official peace negotiations. I am sure, there is something you can promise them, without weakening your position, but that will be up to you. For the second question: They can simply claim it to be an attempt to raise their public image in our country."

"That sounds plausible. But the problem is, what to offer an undead."

"It seems like you won´t have to deal with him, since he is most probably dead."

"You believe the rumors about his death?"

"Of course. There are two reasons for it. First, he didn´t appear in public for a few months. After he took control over E-Rantel, he presented himself in a big parade. He clearly enjoys the attention. If he really did defeat Jaldabaoth, there is no doubt he would openly brag about it. The second reason is the source of the rumors. While most rumors about his death are coming from travelers, the rumors about it being a hoax come from the traders who are dealing with them. So, the people connected to the Sorcerer Kingdom say he is alive, but independent people claim he is dead. Of course, the official representative can´t simply say "He is alive." without him showing up. That would be very suspicious. So, they task their partners to spread rumors, to cover it up. Who do you think is more trustworthy?"

Zanac had to admit, his sister´s argument was logical. Why would the Sorcerer King not show up, to be celebrated as the hero that defeated a monster? Due to the current situation in the Holy Kingdom, there was no way to verify Jaldabaoth´s death, but it seems like the Sorcerer Kingd hadn´t returned, despite the Holy Kingdom being freed from him. That could only mean, both were dead.

"I will consider your advice. Thank you for coming."

Renner bowed politely and turned around to leave. Unseen by her brother, her face twisted into an evil smile as she left. She would keep playing the act of the Golden Princess for a while longer and soon her biggest wish would come true. As soon as her master claimed his price, she would get her reward.

Zanac called back his scribes to discuss their further action. They were shocked about his plan to send an invitation to the Sorcerer Kingdom, but were relieved as he said it was for peace negotiations. He also told them about the solution for the food shortage, about how he planned to reward any noble who can help supply the nation. They seemed happy their king was able to handle the situation well.

Six days have passed. Zanac send a messenger with an official invitation to the Sorcerer Kingdom. He was ordered to rest a less as possible, in order to deliver the news as fast as possible. With him were two birds, to deliver reports back. He was waiting for good news. One of his scribes entered the room, holding the letter from the messenger in his hand.

"What does it say?"

"It seems like the Sorcerer Kingdom is willing to accept your invitation. But due to recent events, their king seems to be unable to come by himself and the high officials are occupied as well. The fastest they could arrange to send someone, is in six months' time."

(It seems like the Sorcerer King is really dead. The officials are probably busy dealing with his absence and trying to agree on their further actions. That´s good. But six months is much too long. By that time, many of our people will have starved to death.)

"In six months? They can´t come earlier?"

"Yes. The prime minister is currently unable to leave the country. Only minor nobles are free at the moment. She said if we were willing to accept one of those as a representative, one of them could be here by the end of the week and the negotiations could start."

(A minor noble? Why would they send someone unimportant like this? Maybe this could be a good opportunity. This spare is probably not very good at negotiating. That could be advantageous for us. The problem is, will the next king or queen honor a deal made by an insignificant noble?)

"Is this noble allowed to form contracts on his own?"

"The letter doesn´t further elaborate this. But it seems he will be endowed with necessary authority. It says, he will bring the authority along."

(It seems like I have no other choice.)

"Message them, to allow it."

"Yes, your majesty."

The last time, an emissary of the Sorcerer Kingdom arrived, he met Albedo, an unworldly beauty. With her were several monsters. Faced with this vast variety of possible appearances, Zanac wondered what this person will look like.

In another location of the capital, in a nicely decorated home, that no noble would be ashamed of, a skinny lady sat on a couch. More fitting to say she lay halfway over the table in front of her. She was surrounded by several empty wine bottles and some knocked over glasses. The woman, clearly wasted, was muttering to herself

"Why is it always me? What have I done to deserve this? What crime have I committed against the gods?"

For the last few hours, Hilma has mentally gone through every crime and operation she has ever done during her time with Eight Fingers. She wondered, where she had gone wrong, what she could have done differently to avoid her current situation. She came to the conclusion, that there was nothing she could have done. It seems it was her fate to end up in the hands of the most terrifying monsters imaginable. The simple thought of having to deal with them again, or even go back to the "Baptism" made her want to drink more, till she faints, or die. But she couldn´t do this. She knew, that she killing herself would probably aggravate these monsters even more. There was no salvation in death. The only thing she could do was follow their orders and hope they stayed in a good mood. And drink.

"I don´t know what is worse, the fear of them, or dealing with this idiot. Seriously, just the idea, that a low-class noble, hardly worth mentioning at all, would have the delusion of marrying the prime minister of another country, who is a world class beauty and a monster on top. This is madness. Now he is even daydreaming of taking over the Sorcerer Kingdom. It would not be so bad, if he was the only one suffering the backlash, but the possibility of being dragged down alongside him is high. I have to find a way to get out of this situation."

After sighing in defeat, she took another deep gulp of wine. She was about to open another bottle when she was interrupted by a knock. A white-haired butler came in and bowed respectfully.

"I´m sorry to interrupt, but it seems we have a guest at the door."

"Who is it and what does he want?"

"He did not state his name, but gave me a letter for you."

Hilma took the letter of her butler. It was a plain white envelope without any decorations. Once she opened the letter, she took out a white piece of paper. The only thing that was on it, was a bizarre crest. This shock immediately sobered her up. Hilma became as white as the paper itself. She jumped up and asked the butler in a worried tone.

"Have you let them in?"

"I wanted to get your permission first, before..."

"Then do it right now. Prepare drinks and something to eat."

As the butler left to take out the order, Hilma had a mixed expression of confusion and fear on her face. She could not understand, why the Sorcerer King would send someone with a letter to her. So far, they have either simply appeared in her house or they came with the ambassador party, which was led by Albedo. She hurried to the entrance to see a hooded figure, dripping wet from the rain. Not worried about her appearance at all, Hilma bowed deeply and greeted the guest.

"I bid you welcome to my humble home. I´m sorry for your delayed entrance, but I was not aware of your visit today. Please come in and feel free to drink and eat."

The person, still wearing the hood over his face spoke out.

"It is OK. I am grateful for hospitality. Furthermore, it is my own fault for coming unannounced. But I admit, I was not aware of how bad the weather in the kingdom is during this season."

As he spoke, he let out a small chuckle.

Again, Hilma was slightly confused. She wasn´t used to being treated politely and understanding by subordinates of the Sorcerer King. She felt relieved for a moment. However, this brief moment of hope only lasted, until the man took of his robe. Confronted with yet another inhuman monster, her eyes widened in shock. After only a second of hope, she was once again plunged into the depths of despair.


	14. Chapter 4 Beginning Of The End Part 2

Hilma was shocked after looking into the eyes of the young man. From the sound of his voice she would have imagined him as a polite and friendly human being. But his eyes told otherwise. The shining yellow color and the slit pupils gave the impression of a predator. This is how mice must feel like, when they encounter a cat. Paired with his pale skin, his eyes gave her the chills. She just stared blankly at him, as he took of his robe. The amount of water he wrung out of his robe showed how much he was soaked by the rain. The sound of water dripping on the floor brought her back to reality. With sheer willpower she managed to conceal her fear and address him respectfully.

"My name is Hilma Cyagnus. Please come inside. You must feel cold."

"Thank you very much. That is very friendly of you. I am sorry for my sudden arrival, but lady Albedo told me, to come here. She said you would be able to provide me with the necessary help to accomplish my missions. My name is Geralt and I hope we can get along well during my stay."

Geralt bowed politely.

"Yes, of course. I will do what´s within my power to help you. Before you tell me about your missions, how about you take a bath first. The weather is terrible and you must be freezing."

"That´s very considerate of you. I will take you up on this offer, thank you. Could you please send someone to take care of my horse and bring my luggage in?"

Hilma signaled the butler to prepare the bath for her guest and do what he asked for.

"Then Geralt-san, if you would please follow me."

She could feel the eyes of this monster on her. She felt he would go after her throat at any moment. As Geralt passed Hilma, she could see he was not only armed with his sword, but had several bottles and metal orbs attached to his belt and her instincts told her, he was wearing several concealed weapons. Why was a heavily armed monster sent to the kingdom? Was he sent here to kill somebody? She just hoped he wasn´t here for her.

Geralt followed the butler to the bath. When he entered, he saw a beautifully decorated room with white stone statues in the corners. In the center of the room was a large, almost pool sized bath, already filled with hot water. Geralt thought of such over the top luxury as unnecessary, but he kept silent and decided to enjoy it. He has never had a hot bath before. He was used to cold mountain rivers and lakes. This would be a new experience for him.

"I will allow myself to prepare a change of clothes for our guest. These garments don´t seem very appropriate."

"Why? What´s wrong with my clothes?"

After he heard the butler, Geralt got slightly confused. He made sure to wear his best set of leather armor he possessed. But the butler saw it in a different light. For him, it was an inelegant piece of clothing, unfitting of this domicile. It was his duty to uphold the status of this place. But he also knew that this person was a guest and was not to offend under any circumstances.

"They seem to be soaked by the rain and a little dirty. It would be best to get them cleaned. Please leave it to me."

Geralt wasn´t sure how to respond. He didn´t mind being wet or dirty. He has experienced far worse. In his profession, it was not unusual to be covered in dirt and blood. But he acknowledged that other people, especially those not familiar with traveling and sleeping outside would think differently. So, he decided to play along.

"Well, if you think that´s best."

He took of his armor and other clothes and gave them to the butler. In return he got a towel and a set of spare clothes. As the old man tried to reach for his sword, Geralt quickly grabbed his wrist and glared at him.

"Don´t touch it."

The butler froze in shock. If looks could kill, he would probably be dead by now. He left without answering. After the butler left, Geralt entered the bathtub.

(I was skeptic at first, but I have to admit, this hot water is very relaxing. I don´t like this gaudy décor, but I have to ask the dwarfs if such a bath is possible for Kaer Morhen.)

Geralt closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasant warmth that was spreading in his body.

(I am curious as to why lady Albedo told me I should stay here. I am a stranger to this person. She must feel really uncomfortable with me around. On the other hand, she seems to work for the Sorcerer Kingdom. She was pretty nervous when I arrived. Well, I am used to this treatment. At least she is polite. But why is she so skinny? That doesn´t look really healthy. I heard some women are concerned with their weight, but this is a little bit much. She would be very attractive with a little bit more meat, exactly my type. Too bad. But it is better this way. Would look very weird if I were flirting with my host.)

After a while Geralt left the bathroom. The butler guided him to the dining hall. The big table in the middle of the room was filled with abundant amounts of food and drinks. At first, he thought that maybe more guests were expected, but he realized only two sets of tables and cutlery. Hilma was already sitting on the table. The butler pointed at the chair opposite of her.

"I am sorry. The bath was so relaxing I fell asleep."

"Pay it no mind. Please sit down and tell me about why you were sent here. I made the servants prepare something to eat. And I hope you will enjoy the wine."

Geralt sat down and grabbed a glass of wine. He emptied it in one go. Hilma seemed to be startled by it.

(That is the most expensive wine available. One bottle costs a little fortune.)

"H-how´s the taste?"

"It is OK, but I prefer stronger stuff. But I think this will do."

"I will remember to get something more to your taste the next time. So how about you tell me about the reason of your visit?"

Hilma couldn´t believe what was happening before her eyes. This young man that was supposed to be an envoy of the Sorcerer Kingdom was behaving like a total peasant. Not only was he lacking any table manners, he also had no sense for etiquette at all. He gulped the expensive wine like water and was eating like a pig. From what she heard from him, he was sent here to work as a middle man between the king and Albedo. What was she thinking to send this guy? She now understood why he was told to stay here. It was her task to make him presentable. It would be a hard task and she only had 3 days to prepare.

"So, you will speak to the king in three days?"

"Not really. I am just supposed to be present. Talking to royals is not really my strong point. I am not very familiar with the noble society."

(What you don´t say. But what is that supposed to mean he will only be present.)

"In that case leave it to me to teach you the necessary things. I have been dealing with nobles for years now and I am quite experienced. At first, I will ask for a tailor to come and prepare some formal wear. The outer appearance is very important when dealing with a king of a foreign nation."

"Really? His majesty didn´t seem to mind. I don´t think he cares for these trivial matters."

"Excuse me if I am being blunt, but have you met him personally?"

"Of course. Not long ago he came to my home and recruited me. He offered me a very generous deal and I decided to serve him. He is a very impressive person, don´t you think so?"

"I have never met him directly. So far I have only been dealing with lady Albedo."

(What is going on here? Why is this guy so important? That undead monster hired him directly? He must have something of high value to offer. But what could that be? He doesn´t seem to have money or influence. Furthermore, he isn´t afraid of that thing at all. His voice is full of admiration and respect. What kind of deal has he with that monster? I should try to get on his good side. If the king likes this guy it could pay out to do him a few favors. Maybe this is an unexpected opportunity.)

"Well, the Sorcerer King is an exceptional being. Under normal circumstances, kings put a lot of attention to the appearance. Look at it like some kind of battle gear. You wear dark colored armor to prevent from being seen and hurt. The formal clothes of nobles and emissaries are meant to impress the other party and show of wealth and status."

"If you put it like that it makes sense."

Hilma was relieved her intuition was right. She took great pride in her ability to assess a man's personality. This was one of the abilities she perfected during her active time.

"By the way, Albedo told me, you had good connections to influential people, so maybe you can help me with something. I would see it as a personal favor."

"Of course, I will help you. What is it?"

"First I would like you to help me with a money issue. There are some people who owe me money. Can you help me collect it?"

"That could be a bit problematic. For this kind of favor, I would need some proof of the debt. Without the documents it could turn out to be impossible."

"That won´t be a problem. I have all the proof you need in my luggage. Would you ask your butler to bring it?"

After a few minutes the butler returned with a metal box. Geralt opened it and took one of the scrolls out. Hilma read the content and was speechless. These documents were not only officially approved and sealed with authentic crests by noble families, the amount of money was insane. This much was a lot even for major families. One of these debts was enough to spend the rest of once life in leisure and luxury.

"Will this be good enough? I just thought I might be able to claim some of these debts while I am here."

"Yes, yes. This is more than good enough. How much of these do you have, two, or even three?"

"Yes, it should be around two dozen."

Geralt turned the box upside down and emptied it on the table.

"So, can you help me with that?"

"Y-yes, but it will take some time to deliver the messages. And I am sure they won´t pay immediately. Some might even try to deny paying, but I will do my best. What is the other matter?"

"I would like to meet some people."

In a different part of the city, in a tavern, were five women sitting on a table in a separate room. The famous adamantite ranked adventurer group Blue Roses was using this inn as its headquarters. They have been spending the winter there. For the last hour the five women were discussing about an upcoming contract. Lakyus asked her teammates

"So, what do you think about our client?"

"Tia and I think he is a very sleazy guy. There are some dangerous rumors going around. He seems to be involved with criminals. This contract to protect a caravan of goods is most surely illegal maybe drugs or stolen goods."

"I think so too. We should step down from this contract. The route is also problematic. We would have to cross borders to the empire. Normally that would not be an issue but now they are a vassal-state of the Sorcerer Kingdom it could be dangerous."

"So, it´s decided. We will not accept it. What is wrong, Evileye? You have been silent for a while."

"It´s nothing. I was just in thoughts. You heard about the rumors coming from the Holy Kingdom, haven´t you?"

"They are hard to avoid. Apparently Jaldabaoth and the Sorcerer King had a clash. It seems like they killed each other. I thought you would be happy to hear that."

Gagaran answered to Evileye´s question.

"It just seems too convenient. The two biggest threats killing each other is like a dream right out of a fairy tale. I never met the Sorcerer King myself, but Jaldabaoth seems too strong to be killed. I have my doubts. I would like to go there myself to verify the facts."

This time Lakyus responded to her

"But it seems the Sorcerer Kingdom has been suspiciously quiet. They don´t even try to deny the rumors and the king himself hasn´t been seen since. It might be hard to imagine, but maybe it is true. You experienced Jaldabaoth's power. Don´t you think he might be able to kill this undead monster?"

"I am not sure. If the Sorcerer King is truly dead, why haven´t the citizens of E-Rantel revolted by now? Momon should have freed them by now?"

"That could be more difficult than you imagine. The Sorcerer King might be dead, but he had a lot of minions and servants. Maybe he is still trying to keep them from slaughtering everyone."

"Oh yes, that might be true. He is such a heroic man after all, sacrificing his own safety to protect the people."

After Evileye went on to praise Momon, the twins Tia and Tina were whispering

"Here she goes again."

"She gets like this every time the topic of Momon comes up."

"We should try to change the topic or this could take a while."

While Tia and Tina were trying to come up with a way to distract Evileye, they heard a gentle knocking at the door. The waitress entered and excused for the disturbance.

"I am sorry, but there is a visitor for you."

Gagaran asked the waitress

"A visitor? If it is this slimy noble asking for his contract, I will gladly show him the door."

"No, it is not this person. He didn´t say his name, but he said he came from the Sorcerer Kingdom and wished to speak to you. Should I tell him to come back later?"

"From the Sorcerer Kingdom? That must be Momon. Nobody else from there would come here to talk to us."

Lakyus concluded

"So, the rumors are true. The Sorcerer King is dead and Momon freed the country. I knew nobody else was capable of this."

As Evileye said this, her voice got a lot higher and giddier. She ran out the room. She was so happy she was about to see the man she loved, she wasn´t even looking were she ran. Without thinking, she tackle-hugged the person of the other side. Being near the man of her dreams was her biggest wish, but something seemed odd. First, the person was not wearing the heavy armor Momon was used to wear and second, his figure was a lot slimmer, so she could reach around him. As she noticed that, she looked up. She noticed the yellow glowing eyes of the man she was still hugging.

"I didn´t knew greetings in the Kingdom were that friendly. That is very heartwarming. Seems like I misjudged you. My name is Geralt and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance."

During the last sentence, he hugged Evileye back. She pulled back immediately and seemed very ashamed. The twins and Gagaran were giggling while Lakyus stepped forward.

"I am Lakyus, the leader of the Blue Roses. The waitress said you were from the Sorcerer Kingdom and were looking for us. Would you please tell me why you are here?"

"Sure. When I visited E-Rantel I talked to Momon. He told me about the time you were fighting Jaldabaoth together and said you were the best adventurers he knew. I wanted to meet you while I was here to talk to you."

"If Momon trusts you enough to tell you about personal things, I guess we can do you the favor. Please come inside and take a seat. Excuse me, would you please bring some drinks for us?"

The waitress nodded.

"Thank you."

Geralt passed Gagaran and the twins, as well as the still motionless Evileye and followed Lakyus into the room. After they all set down.

"Before we start, I would like to ask you a question. It might seem a little inappropriate to ask but..."

"Let me make this easy for you. I am not a human being. I am a Witcher."

Evileye seemed to have regained her composure.

"A Witcher? I thought you were all dead. I met one of you a long time ago. We didn´t get along well."

"That´s a shame. I hope we can get along better."

"Thank you for answering. I was just a little bit curious. I have to admit, your eyes startled me. Then, Geralt, please tell me why you are here. You said you talked to Momon about us. Did he sent you to talk to us?"

"Not really. He simply told me the tales about you and I was impressed. I decided to meet you and ask you for a favor."

"What kind of favor could this be?"

"You see, I recently joined the Adventurer Guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom and am tasked with training and educating the new recruits. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no experience in teamwork or group-battles. After I heard about your group, I hoped I could learn a thing or two from you."

"What does that mean, you train and educate them?"

"The Sorcerer King rebuilt the adventurer guild. He recruited a lot of young, aspiring people from the empire, wishing to become adventurers. I am in charge of getting them ready to travel around without dying."

"You said you joined the Sorcerer Kingdom. Do you work for them voluntarily?"

"Of course. After meeting his majesty, I felt like it was my duty to work for him. I am doing my best to make his kingdom prosper."

The women glanced at each other and exchanged skeptic looks.

"I am very sorry, but some of my teammates have an issue with the Sorcerer Kingdom. We don't feel very comfortable helping an enemy nation."

"It's a shame you see it like that."

"As if we could ever help that monster."

Gagaran could no longer suppress her anger.

"Watch your tone. I don't care, if you want to help me or not, but I will not tolerate any insults towards his majesty. Who are you to judge him and call him a monster?"

"Of course, he is a monster. He killed nearly two hundred thousand people."

"And?"

"And? He is a mass murdering fiend."

Gagaran´s face went beet red. She slammed her hand on the table.

"So, you would let the enemy kill you?"

"What?"

"He was on a battlefield, surrounded by enemy soldiers. It was to kill or to be killed. Don't get me wrong, I would prefer peace and I dislike war in general, but if you want to live, you sometimes have to fight. So, if you don't let yourself be killed in the same situation, you can't judge him."

"As if those two things could be compared. I didn´t slaughter innocent."

"I am sure there are a lot of goblins who would beg to differ."

Lakyus tried to hold her companion back and calm the situation down.

"I think what my friend wanted to say, is that he attacked our nation and took some of our land. That's why he is an enemy."

"But she didn't say enemy, she said monster. The term enemy is justified, but to call him a monster is plainly insulting. I personally hate this word and find it very offensive."

This time, Lakyus failed to hold her back. Gagaran yelled at Geralt

"You think it´s offensive? I tell you why he is a monster. He is a damn undead creature."

"Now we are getting to the point. You don't hate him for what he did or why he did it. You simply hate him for what he is. Something he had no control over. You are quick to judge somebody for his appearance. I am very disappointed that the kingdom´s best adventurers are that narrow-minded."

"That's rich coming from someone serving a monster to save his own skin."

"First, I chose to serve him of my own free will. Neither did he intimidate me, nor threatened me. He approached me with respect and simply offered me to help me with some of my problems. Second, I told you not to use that word."

Gagaran had a smug grin on her face. Tia´s and Tina´s eyes seemed to beg her "Don't do it." But it was too late.

"Monster"

With a swift motion Geralt slammed his fist on the table. It took Gagaran a second to realize the dagger sticking in the table, right between her fingers. Geralt's yellow eyes glared at her.

"Maybe we should continue outside?"

"What, you want to duel me?"

"No. Duel would mean I respected you as a warrior. I am going to teach you some manners."

"You are very confident, aren't you? Let's see how good you really are. The winter has been very boring and I'm dying to get some action."

This time it was Evileye who tried to talk her friend out of her rage.

"I don't think that's a good idea. He is here as an official envoy of the Sorcerer Kingdom. If you were to fatally injure him, it could cause a diplomatic incident."

"Don't worry. I don't plan to hide behind my status as long as she isn't too scared to face me."

"That's it. I will make you regret those words. We are going out right now."

Gagaran grabbed her hammer, Fel Iron, and stormed outside, Geralt following her.

"That escalated quickly. Normally Gagaran isn't that irrational. Do you think Geralt was pushing her buttons accidentally or on purpose?"

"I am not sure. Could be both."

"Evileye, you said you met a Witcher before. How bad of an opponent was he?

"I don't know, we didn't fight. They are normally very composed. They are supposed to be first-class swordsmen and can use some magic. That's all I know."

"Let´s go after them and make sure they don't involve civilians."

Geralt and Gagaran stood outside the city-wall. The heavy rain made the ground muddy and slippery. The rest of the blue Roses stood 20 meters away, observing the two warriors. They were facing each other. Gagaran held her warhammer, but Geralt hadn't drawn his sword yet.

"Should I give you a handicap? I don't want to hear you whining when I have beaten you."

Geralt asked.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same."

"I don't need one."

"Then neither do me."

Geralt reached for the hilt of his sword. As he unsheathed it, the blade emitted a pale blue light, showing its status as a magical weapon. Both stared at each other, waiting for an opening to start the attack. Gagaran was the first to move. She charged Geralt and opened the battle with one of her favorite martial arts.

"Smash"

The impact of her hammer hitting the ground could be felt even by the spectators. Geralt seemed unfazed by it and easily evaded the attack. Geralt span around and was ready to counterattack.

"Moon Sickle"

He was using the momentum of the rotation to further increase the strength of his sword attack. For an average enemy, this would have been a dangerous attack, but Gagaran was an outstanding human being. She was already in the realm of heroes. She raised her hammer and deflected the incoming blade. Geralt had already noticed his attack had failed and changed the angle of his sword. Instead of a direct clash with her hammer, his blade only graced it. This time Gagaran used an upwards attack on Geralt, but he was able to avoid it by bending backwards. He slipped right under her attack and along the ground. Now he was kneeling right behind her. With a kick to her knee, he forced her to the ground. Gagaran could barely avoid the blade aiming for her throat. She rolled away and got back on her feet, but before she could regain her balance, Geralt was already preparing his next attack.

"Piercing Thrust"

This martial art was normally used with a Spear. It only made use of the tip of the weapon to penetrate the target. Gagaran moved aside, but couldn't avoid being scratched at the shoulder. Further away, Gagaran's teammates were talking about the fight. Evileye seemed to be optimistic.

"I was worried at first, but she is really keeping up with him."

"I don't think so. This looks really bad. You have no experience with close combat, so you probably didn't notice."

Responded Tia.

"Yes, he is the worst possible match for her."

Added Tina.

"In terms of raw strength, Gagaran is far better. The problem is, he isn't even trying to overpower her. He is using his speed and agility to outmaneuver her."

Evileye was looking at the twins as they took turns explaining the situation to her.

"Not only that, he has a monstrous stamina. They have been fighting for a while now, but he isn't even out of breath. At this rate, Gagaran will get tired fast."

"Furthermore, he is very precise. Gagaran uses big attacks to inflict a lot of damage at once to crush her enemy. But Geralt is fighting differently. He uses as less strength as necessary and is only aiming for poorly armored parts like the joints or big blood-vessels at her throat or legs. When we assassinate a target, we do the same. Seems like he is used to drawn-out fights."

"Are you telling me, Gagaran is losing to him?"

As the rain stopped, Geralt was getting frustrated. None of his attacks has been working so far.

(She is better than I anticipated. She is pretty strong. One hit of her hammer could be fatal. She is not fast enough to hit me, but her defense is good.)

He didn't know what tricks his opponent was hiding, so he was careful. But he couldn't risk to disgrace the Sorcerer King. He had to win overwhelmingly. He decided to let down his guard to lure this woman into attacking him from a certain angle.

Gagaran was getting nervous.

(Damn, I underestimated him. The uneven changes in movement speed makes it hard to predict his moves. He is fast and agile. At this rate, I am running out of breath. I have to do something soon.)

She wasn't expecting him to be that good. He was defending very well against her attacks. If she wasn't careful, he would definitely kill her. His attacks were fast and precise. Then she saw it.

(Now I got him. He made a mistake and let his left flank unguarded. This could be my only chance. I have to use everything I got.)

She raised her hammer and activated the special ability it was enchanted with. This ability would greatly increase its weight and damage. Combined with her strongest martial art, it was a sure kill.

"Meteor Strike"

Geralt raised his sword diagonally.

"Invulnerable Fortress" "Quen"

His martial art and stance provided him with enough defense to safely divert her attack, while his magic was preventing any stun effects and numbness from the impact. Gagaran, who put her full weight in this attack, was off balance for a few seconds. This short time frame was more than enough for Geralt. He seized the opportunity and placed his left hand on her stomach and used his strongest attack spell.

"Aard"

Gagaran felt like the time she was hit by a war troll. The impact of this magic shook every bone in her body and send her flying several meters back. As she was leaning on her hammer to get back up, she coughed blood. She knew some of her organs were damaged, but she was determined to continue. She was nearly back up, as she suddenly felt weak and dropped on her knees.

"What? What have you done?"

Geralt pointed downwards. Gagaran could see a small metal orb that was releasing a faint green gas.

"Poison? That's really cowardly."

"Don't blame me. I asked you beforehand, whether you needed a handicap or not."

Gagaran wanted to get out of the gas cloud, but Geralt wouldn't let her.

"Yrden"

Normally, this spell wouldn't immobilize somebody like Gagaran, but the damage to her body and the poison had severely weakened her.

"So, have you made up your mind? Are you ready to apologize and show some respect to his majesty?"

"The only thing I will show that monster, is how my weapon looks up close."

Geralt sighed angrily.

"There is one thing you should know about this gas. It's inflammable."

He snapped his fingers

"Igni"

The gas cloud around Gagaran erupted into a large fireball. The heat immediately dried the ground around her. After the heat subsided, Gagaran was laying on the ground. She wasn't moving, but her breath could be heard. She was covered from head to toe in burn marks. Geralt reached in his pocket and pulled a small bottle out. He threw it to Tia, who was now standing next to her burnt friend.

"That's the antidote for the poison. It doesn't respond well to normal healing potions. I think some of her internal organs might be damaged. You should give her some potions or bring her to a priest and she will be as good as new."

He walked towards Lakyus.

"Looks like the famous Blue Roses aren't that great after all."

He bumped into her shoulder and left. The rest of the team was standing around Gagaran and trying to treat her with potions. Like Geralt said, the poison didn´t seem affected by them. Shortly after using the antidote Gagaran felt better.

After walking down an isolated alley, Geralt stopped.

"You can show yourself; I know you are there."

In the next moment, Evileye canceled her invisibility spell.

"I'm surprised you noticed me."

"You should be experienced enough to know the weaknesses of invisibility. The raindrops covering your body make you easy to spot. And you forgot to erase the sound. I could hear your footsteps. Tell me what you want. Why are you following me? Are you also looking for a fight?"

"No. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What do you want to know?"

"Why was Momon talking to you? Why did he told you to come to us?"

"We were talking about my new role in the adventurer guild and how I felt insecure about teaching teamwork. He said you were functioning very well as a team, so I thought about learning from you."

"Why didn't you learn from him? He is clearly the better choice."

"That might be true, but he is very busy. I just happened to meet him once."

"Why did you thought we would help an enemy nation?"

"Momon said you were righteous and good people. Clearly an overstatement."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't understand how you are able to tolerate their bigotry, especially that big troll. The way she was talking about his majesty, just because he is undead. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Why should it?"

"Don't take me for a fool, I know exactly what you are."

"I don't know, what you are talking about."

Evileye's voice got very nervous.

"Please, it's obvious. The moment you hugged me, I could feel it. No heartbeat."

Even though, she had no need for air, her breath stopped.

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't tell your secret. Do your teammates know? The way they are talking, I would assume not. Why are you hiding your true identity?"

"I don't hide my identity. I am Evileye of the adventurer group Blue Roses."

"Maybe your lies can convince others, but I know the truth."

"What truth?"

"How desperately you want to be like the others. You don't want to be what you are."

"I am perfectly fine with who I am."

"Is that why you are wearing a mask?"

Evileye fell silent after that remark.

"You try to deny what you are, in order to pretend to be human. I know that feeling. There were times I wished I wasn't a Witcher. Whenever I met humans, they feared and hated me. I thought I would be alone forever. But that was before I met the Sorcerer King. He showed me a bright future of mutual respect and coexistence of many different species. I have seen a glimpse on that future in E-Rantel. Children of humans, Demi-humans and heteromorphs were playing in the streets. Nobody was afraid of me or looked at me with disgust in their eyes. Maybe you should give it a try?"

Geralt's ears twitched and he glanced into a dark alley.

"Follow me, I want to show you something."

Both of them walked down the dark path, until they saw a group of people. Three men were cornering a girl, maybe twelve years old.

"You see that? I overheard them talking. They are robbing this poor girl of her last food. The other thing they plan to do to her is much more heinous. It's not like they have to do it to survive. A pack of wolves kills to eat. No joy or evil thoughts. They could easily take the food and leave. But the fact that they take joy in their abhorrent actions is simply disgusting. Now tell me, who are the real monsters of this world?"

"They are simply scumbags. Guys like these can be found everywhere."

"That's exactly my point. Monsters come in all shapes and forms. When a monster can hide inside a human, why can't there be a human inside each monster? You are a prime example. You are a vampire, yet you fight alongside humans to protect others from evil. I can´t understand why it is so hard for you to believe an undead is able fight for good? Or is it that you don't trust yourself in that matter?"

"You can't deceive me. I know who I am and who my friends are. I trust them just as much as they trust me."

"So why haven´t you told them about you? Are you afraid they would reject you?"

"They would never reject me, we are friends."

"I might give you this point. Despite what they said, they seem like good people. The problem is, what all the others would think. Are you sure, the citizens of this city wouldn´t hunt you down, once they know what you are?"

"I admit many humans are despicable, but that won't change the fact that the Sorcerer King is a threat to the peace and well-being of this country. If he continues his actions, this world will be destroyed."

"What peace and well-being are you talking about? A place where little girls are raped and robbed, while criminals get away with it?"

For a moment Evileye forgot about the situation the girl was in. As she was about to cast magic to help her, Geralt stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"What I do best, hunting monsters."

Geralt stepped out of the alley´s shadow and grabbed the first man by the shoulder. He forcefully turned him around and before the man could react, a fist hit him right in the face. He fell to the ground and held his nose in agony. The two other thugs tried to attack Geralt, but he avoided them.

"Run"

He looked at the girl as he forcefully commanded her. She didn't hesitate and vanished around the corner. As one of the men tried to punch him, Geralt grabbed his arm and twisted it around. A loud cracking noise was followed by an echoing scream of pain. The other men tried to sneak up from behind, but Geralt's sharps senses already noticed him. He avoided the attack and pushed the scumbag against the wall. He drew a dagger from his belt and thrusted it in the man´s shoulder, nailing him to the wall. Now Geralt drew his sword and turned his attention to the man he punched in the face. This whole ordeal only took a few seconds, so he wasn't up again. His face was covered in blood. Geralt grabbed him by his collar and pressed the tip of the sword at his throat. He forced the criminal to look into his yellow-glowing eyes.

"You think it's funny to attack defenseless children? Guess what. I think it's funny to beat the crap out of worthless bastards like you. This is my only warning. If I ever hear you did something like this again, I will come and get you. Next time, you won't be as lucky."

Geralt pressed the blade slightly harder and a small amount of blood ran down his neck. A wet spot formed in his pants as he nodded frantically. Geralt let go of him and pulled the dagger out of the other man´s shoulder and was immediately covered in the blood spraying from the fresh hole. The three men ran away as fast as they could. After they were gone, Geralt turned to Evileye

"Have you seen this? A scene like that would be unthinkable in the Sorcerer Kingdom. Everybody has enough to eat. Nobody has to steal to live. No child has to fear rapists and killers. The streets are safe there. I don't care, if it's for the fear of the undead patrolling this city. I don't care, if his majesty killed enemy soldiers in battle. If this world of filth has to be destroyed to create the Sorcerer King´s vision of a better world, then so be it. The time of sword and axe is near, so you should choose your side wisely."


	15. Chapter 4 Beginning Of The End Part 3

In the mansion, Hilma was sitting in her living room. Two days ago, the young man who was sent by the Sorcerer Kingdom came to her place. He was sent to visit the king and help negotiating. From their conversations she learned, that he recently joined the Sorcerer Kingdom and was immediately appointed a title. He seemed to possess land north of the kingdom, that was about to be further developed. He was entrusted with the training of a new generation of adventurers. Hilma has seen her fair share of mercenaries and soldiers. She could tell at one glimpse he was used to combat and live or dead situations. He enjoyed the Sorcerer Kings trust and goodwill. But there was one thing that made her feel uneasy. He lacked any and all etiquette. He was definitely not fit to meet nobles. If he messed up his task, Hilma would undoubtedly feel the backlash as well. She helped him learn the necessary behavior. But for now, she had another task. Many nobles owed him money. It was up to her to help him claim the money. Many names on that list were well known in the kingdom. High ranking officials and noble families were among them. But one name in particular piqued her interest. Normally this name would not stick out. The family was neither well known, nor wealthy. But for some circumstances, she met one of them very frequently. This minor noble was now sitting in front of her.

"That is impossible. Who is this guy? How can he pretend such outrageous things?"

"Well, that's simply how it is. I am afraid I can't help you in that matter. His claims are legitimate. It seems like one of your ancestors made a contract with a member of his guild and refused to pay. Now he wants his money plus interest."

"That´s insane. How could I ever pay such an amount? None of my ancestors would promise this much. I want to meet this guy. How can he dare to tarnish my family´s name?"

This was an outcome she had to avoid at all costs. If Geralt were to meet this moron, it would end in disaster. Geralt stated his disdain towards nobles several times. And this idiot made it incredible easy to hate him. He could be lucky if he managed to get away with some knocked out teeth. Unlike Phillip, who got his current position because his older brothers died, Geralt was appointed to his title and status, because the Sorcerer King deemed him worthy and useful. Phillip was still waiting to inherit the title and domain, whereas Geralt was already ruling. He was a trained warrior and seemed like the kind of person that wouldn't tolerate this idiot´s rantings. If he provoked the Sorcerer Kings agent with his attitude and disrespectful tone, he would clearly cause death and destruction.

"I wouldn't bother to talk to him. He has no intention of backing down on his claims. Furthermore, he is here in representation of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Trying to cheat him would definitely leave a bad impression, especially on lady Albedo."

She knew exactly how much this lunatic liked that demon. Dropping her name would surely calm him down bit.

"You could be right. If I were to put this peasant into his place, it could diminish my chances to marry Albedo. For now, I have to pretend to be friendly. But as soon as I take over the Sorcerer Kingdom, I will show him who the superior is."

Hilma wore a painful smile on her face as she desperately tried to suppress her inner feelings. Was this retard for real? Did he really think he could marry Albedo and rule the kingdom? Every sane person would likely say it as a joke. But Phillip was no sane person. He meant every word he said. She had to accomplish her mission as fast as possible, so she could cut ties with this man before he would drag her down with him.

"The problem is money. Even if I sold everything I own, I wouldn´t be able to pay. There is no way I can get enough."

"That's where I can help you."

"You can?"

"Yes. See, because he lacks the connections and the knowledge of noble society, he tasked me with collecting his debts. I could convince him to delay the payment."

"That doesn't help me at all."

"It will. Have you heard of the king´s plan to gather enough resources to feed the people?"

"Yes, he tries to buy as much as possible, but only pays under market value. That way, he will not gather enough for a single city. Who in their right mind would sell for less profit?"

"You will."

"Huh? I don't have anything to spare myself. What should sell him?"

"The envoy is also looking for trading partners. It seems like the Sorcerer Kingdom plans to sell large quantities of grain for very low prices. Unfortunately, they couldn't find suitable partners."

"So, your plan is for me to buy this grain from the Sorcerer Kingdom and sell it to the king?"

"And you can use the profit to pay off your debts and even increase your wealth. The honor given by the king would serve as a nice bonus. You would raise your status, as well as your wealth."

"But I would need money to buy the grain in the first place."

"Because of my current services as a debt collector, I have sufficient assets at hand. I would be willing to lend it."

"To outrageous terms I assume?"

"Yes, but think for a moment. Isn't it worth it? You would be heralded as the savior of the kingdom and a very valuable trading partner."

"I guess it is a good opportunity. When should we discuss the deal?

"The envoy will meet the king tomorrow afternoon. I would suggest to talk to him in the evening."

"In that case I will meet him tomorrow."

After he left, Phillip couldn't stop praising his genius.

(That is perfect. The people of the kingdom will love me and I will be able to accumulate enough wealth to rival even the big nobles. Plus, Albedo will see me in a positive light. With the Sorcerer King out of the way, I can easily take over both nations. It's like the gods want me to be a king.)

In the evening, Geralt returned to the mansion. As Hilma saw him covered in mud and blood, she gasped in surprise.

"Don't worry, it's not my blood."

"I guess the meeting didn't went well?"

"That stupid brute was very disrespectful towards his majesty. I had to teach her some manners."

"Is everything alright?"

"I made sure to let her life, but I think she will avoid solid food for a few days."

(Looks like I made the right choice. If he can take on adamantite-ranked adventurers all by himself and is still considered low in the Sorcerer Kingdom, there is no way they can ever be defeated.)

"I am glad to say that the meeting with the king will take place as planned. I also managed to find somebody for the trade deal you mentioned. He wishes to talk to you after the meeting. I also collected half of your money. Many of the nobles were very upset, but I persuaded them to pay."

"I am very grateful for your effort, thank you. I will contact his majesty to send somebody to collect it."

"One last thing, the tailor is waiting for you. He wants to make the last adjustments to your formal wear."

"Is that really necessary? I don't like these clothes."

"Yes, it is necessary."

The next day, Geralt wore his new clothes. He was very unhappy he had to leave his weapons behind. He felt very uncomfortable without them.

"I must say, these clothes fit you well, Geralt."

(I have to praise myself. Three days ago, he looked like he crawled out of a sewer, but now he could pass as a member of the higher society.)

"I hate it. These clothes are unpractical, they offer zero protection and are very hard to move in. It feels like wires have been sewn into it. I can't wait to get rid of them."

Hilma sighed internally. She did everything she could, now it was his responsibility. Geralt entered the prepared carriage and traveled to the royal palace.

King Zanac was sitting on his throne. Today was the day he would talk to the Sorcerer Kingdom´s envoy. The official reason for his visit was to further improve peace negotiations. But that was only the facade. He was much more interested in the second, secret reason. He would try to convince him to play along in his scheme. For that he would have to make generous offers. But the question was, what could he offer? How could he give them something, without risking his own position? For the last few days he thought of several things they could demand, but he decided to come up with something according to the flow of conversation. A few minutes ago, a servant informed him of the arrival of the envoy. He would be here any second now. The servant now officially announced the envoy.

"Sent from the Sorcerer Kingdom, the native guardian Geralt."

The person that entered was a young man, maybe twenty years old. His hair was white as snow and his skin was almost sickly pale. His glowing yellow eyes looked like those of a beast, ready to launch at its prey at any moment. More than a dignified noble, he had the aura of a seasoned warrior, like that of the late Gazef Stronoff. He bowed very respectfully. After Zanac was introduced by the servant, Geralt stood back up.

(He seems to know the routine at court, but he clearly lacks the experience. He isn't used to this.)

"I am grateful for your quick arrival. I hope our negotiations will be fruitful."

"I hope so too, but it is not me who you will be negotiating with."

"Could you explain?"

"Of course, your majesty."

Geralt reached in his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a small can. After opening it, Zanac could hear a familiar voice.

"Greetings, Prince Zanac. I hope you are not offended by this behavior, but due to recent events I was very busy and therefore unable to make the journey. I am sure you can understand."

He clearly remembered the radiant beauty he met a while ago. It belonged to the Prime Minister Albedo.

(She is very busy? Seems like the rumors about the undead´s death are true.)

"Be assured, I don't mind. As long as we can progress towards mutual benefits, I don't mind the way we communicate. But please allow me to ask, how should I treat the envoy?"

"Geralt has proven to be a trustworthy servant, but negotiations are not his strength. He will only operate the magic device that allows us to talk. Feel free to ignore his presence."

(So, she wants him to stay. He is probably supposed to observe our reactions. If they send him here alone that means either a) he is disposable or b) he can defend himself. I should be careful around him.)

"Of course. Let's begin our peace-talks."

After two hours of the usual, Zanac asked his servants to leave the two of them alone.

"Now that we are alone, we should start with the real negotiations."

"Geralt already informed me of your plan. It could be said we are interested in it. As long as we can sell our products, we don't mind your scheme. But that leaves the question of payment. We could make much more profit if we sold directly. Why should we diminish our profits by selling to lower prices to a middle-man?"

"The way you are asking tells me you have an idea. What do you want?"

"A small region north of the Kingdom recently joined our nation as a vassal. We would like the right to build a road to connect it and the right to cross borders at the access points whenever we want."

(They basically demand to travel through our land at any given time.)

"That sounds like a reasonable request. But first I would have to make sure this won't cause a diplomatic incident with the Council State. If we would allow you to build a road to their border, they could see it as a threat."

"What would be necessary?"

"Some proof this patch of land doesn't belong to the Council State."

"That's easy. Show him."

Geralt pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Zanac asked

"What is that?"

"This document proofs the independence of my domain. It was given to my guild 500 years ago. As the last remaining member and current guild master, this land is my property. Therefore, I can do whatever I wish and forge alliances as I see fit. The Council State explicitly declared a non-interference clause."

Zanac was dumbfounded. This guy was not just a simple brute or disposable pawn. Technically, he was the ruler of an independent domain. The Prime Minister was well aware of what they wanted to demand in exchange for their help. She also knew how he wanted to deny. That's why this man was send. He should immediately reply. It was like she could read his mind. Even with the Sorcerer King out of the way, Zanac had to make sure not to underestimate that kingdom´s ruler.

"This new development could change some aspects. I would like to discuss this matter with some people and think about it. I would ask you to wait little bit."

"Of course. If you wish to continue, please tell Geralt and he will establish the connection."

With this, the box went silent, Geralt bowed politely and asked

"If you would be so kind, I would like a tour through your castle. My own one is currently under reconstruction and maybe I can get some ideas."

"Of course."

Zanac snapped for one of the servants.

"Show our guest around."

The young man in the training room was dripping with sweat. He has been training for several hours. His goal was not to be the strongest warrior of the kingdom. Neither did he aspire to become a famous adventurer or national hero. His only reason to train that hard, was to protect his mistress, whom he owed his life to. When Climb was just a little boy, left in the streets to die, his mistress, the golden Princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Renner, saved his life. He decided to do everything necessary to protect her. He was even ready to give up his life. Even though he had no talent, he trained hard enough to become one of the strongest soldiers in the kingdom, even stronger than most adventurers. Until recently, he also received occasionally lectures by the hero of the nation, Gazef Stronoff. That famous warrior was killed almost two years ago in the battle with the Baharuth Empire, no, he was killed in the battle with the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. On that day, Climb saw what true power looked like. He knew he could never hope to compete with such a godlike being. But that didn't stop him in his mission. He trained even harder than before. Sometimes he trained so hard, he threw up or passed out. Climb was focused on his training, as he heard a voice calling up to him.

"You are doing it wrong."

Surprised by this sudden interruption, Climb turned around. The person he saw was a young man, only a few years older than him. His pate skin and white hair made him look like a ghost. The expensive clothes he was wearing showed he was of a higher stand. He was accompanied by one of the kings' servants. Climb assumed he had to be some noble or similar important figure. Climb bowed down immediately.

"There is no need to bow. I am sorry for disturbing you, but you are doing it wrong. By the way, my name is Geralt."

"Ahm, I am Climb, it is an honor to meet you. Excuse me, Geralt-san, but what am I doing wrong?"

"First, you should never train alone. That only makes you remember your mistakes."

"What mistakes?"

"Your stance for example. Take a battle stance and I will show you."

Geralt took off his vest and walked towards Climb. He pushed him at the shoulder and kicked his feet away. Before Climb realized what was happening, he was already flat on the ground. Geralt reached out to him and Climb took his hand. He pulled him up again.

"Your feet are too close together and your center of gravity is too high. That makes it easy for opponents to break your balance."

After Geralt pointed out the flaws and gave him hints to correct them, he attacked Climb in the same pattern as before, but this time, Climb didn't fall.

"Your second mistake is how you swing your sword. You are using your shoulders too much. If possible, use the elbows. That way you need less strength and won't tire as fast. But your biggest mistake is your third one. You are too absorbed in your training. You didn't pay any attention to your surroundings. Even if this is a safe place, you should always be cautious. Even a toddler could sneak up on you and stab you in the back."

"But shouldn't I give 100% while training?"

"How long do you think I was standing there?"

Climb was startled by this question. He was standing there long enough to figure out the flaws in Climbs' training and battle style. He was accompanied by a servant, so two people have been observing him for a while from only a few meters away and he didn't notice. Climb bowed again and said respectfully

"I get it. Thank you very much for your advice. I will remember it."

"Say, do you want to spar with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"This day was very nerve-wracking for me and I could use some exercise. How about it?"

Climb was worried. It would be very rude to decline such a generous offer, but injuring an important person might cause problems. It wasn't himself he was worried about, but Princess Renner. Geralt seemed to notice the boys' troubles and responded.

"You don't have to worry. Nobody will be mad at you or anyone else. If I get injured, it will be my own fault."

Geralt smiled as he grabbed one of the practice swords. Geralt lowered his stance and his face changed instantaneously. He now had the look of a dangerous predator. Climb observed him for a few seconds, before he decided to attack. He put all his strength in this attack, but Geralt avoided him without trouble. As Climb passed him, Geralt hit him with the wooden sword on the head.

"Focus, don't use all your strength in the first attack, if you don't know you opponents' abilities. If he is able to avoid, you are dead. Cautiously test him before attacking."

This time Geralt attacked first. Climb tried to block his sword, but as their sword connected, he felt no force at all. Instead Geralt changed the course and hit Climb at the wrist.

"Always assume your opponent mixes faints in his attack pattern."

This time, Climb positioned himself a little bit further away. Geralt slowly circled around him, with the tip of his sword forming circles. Time seemed to slow down for Climb. He felt like a tiger was slowly closing in and waiting to kill him. Cold sweat made the palm of his hands damp. This time he was determined not to let him slip past his defense. Nonetheless Geralt caught him off guard and hit him in the stomach.

"You can use your weapon to draw your opponent´s attention away from your body. Combined with an unsteady movement pattern your actions become very hard to predict."

The two of them were interrupted by the servant.

"Excuse me, but the meeting continues."

"Of course. Thank you, that really helped calm me down. My I ask for your name?"

"I am Climb."

"Well then Climb-kun, try to remember my advice. You have great potential."

"I don't want to appear ungrateful, but why are you helping me?"

As Geralt put his vest back on he answered

"No special reason, I just saw someone trying his best and decided to give him some advice."

Geralt returned to king Zanac and activated the Xenogloss. Albedo´s voice could be heard immediately.

"So, what is your decision?"

"I think I will allow it under some conditions. First, I would like to know something about that land in the north. How are you going to use it?"

"A new city will be built, to serve as a supply route for the Witcher guild and to further develop the area. The main purpose of that domain will be to act as a school and training facility."

"I am sure you are aware of it, but to allow citizens of a foreign nation to cross borders unchecked is very dangerous. After all, people could pretend to come from your country. To ensure our safety I would like some kind of border control."

"We could establish passports as official documents to verify the identity. That should be sufficient."

"The last part I would like to ask is about the construction of the road. It may sound disrespectful, but many of my citizens have prejudices against undead. They are feared even if they are handy workforces. I would like to ask you not to use them in the Re-Estize Kingdom."

"We possess more than enough alternatives. That doesn't pose a problem at all."

"In that case I am glad to agree to your terms, given you manage to find nobles that are willing to import your grain and sell it to me to the set prices."

After the secret and the official talks came to an end, Zanac prepared a small banquette to celebrate. This time some nobles and the royal family were invited. After they heard a noble of the Sorcerer Kingdom would be present, many nobles were hesitant to accept. Therefore, the number of people present was low. In fact, the only one's present were, apart from servants and maids, Zanac, Princess Renner, her Bodyguard Climb, Lakyus and Geralt.

"I am very sorry, but due to the sudden announcement, many couldn't make it in time. I hope you are not offended by it."

"Not at all. If the time was too short, there is nothing that can be done."

"Please allow me to introduce you to the present ones. This here is Lady Lakyus..."

"No need. We already know each other."

The servant was interrupted by Lakyus.

"Nice to meet you again, Geralt."

"Yes, tell me, how is your friend? I hope she is alright?"

"Yes, she is up again."

Despite being polite and respectful, the atmosphere between the two was as cold as ice. The servant could feel it and was terrified. After a while Geralt proceeded and was greeted by the Princess. He twitched back.

(What the hell is that? It's been a very long time since I have felt like this. Her presence is giving me goosebumps. She seems like a friendly person, but my instincts tell me otherwise. I can't explain it, but something is definitely wrong with her. I have to be very careful around her. It feels like if I let my guard down, she will pierce my back with an icicle.)

Zanac noticed Geralt was secretly staring at her the whole time.

(He seems to be fascinated by her. I can't blame him. She is a very beautiful woman. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.)

The rest of the event was rather normal. After assuring of how successfully the negotiations have been, Geralt left the palace and returned to the Mansion. He was immediately greeted by Hilma.

"How did it go?"

"Weak drinks, dull conversations and half-cooked meat. It was boring as hell."

"I was actually talking about the negotiations."

"They went well. I think Lady Albedo will be very satisfied."

Hilma sighed. If this monster was in a good mood, her life would be a hell of a lot easier. But there was still one hurdle left.

"Lord Phillip will arrive soon. He is the one who will buy the grain from the Sorcerer Kingdom."

After Phillip left, Geralt couldn't hold back anymore.

"Seriously, could you not come up with somebody less awful?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have never met a person I want to punch so badly. Normally I am very composed, but I hope I will never meet him again. I am sure the next time I will beat that shit-eating grin out of his face. At least l am done with these tasks. I will leave tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for your help. Regarding the rest of the debts, please proceed as before and leave it at the designated spot, so his majesty´s servants can pick it up."

Meanwhile in Nazarick Demiurge and Albedo were discussing the latest developments in the Re-Estize Kingdom.

"Everything went according to Lord Ainz's plan. This idiot doesn't even notice what's going on."

"Yes. It seems like the little puppy Lord Ainz adopted is more useful than I initially thought. He did everything we told him."

"Well, the most important characteristic of a dog is his obedience."

"With this, the next step is done. Now we have to wait for these foolish insects to finish the noose around their necks."

"My contacts said the first nobles are already planning to retake E-Rantel. The news of owing money to one of the Sorcerer Kingdom´s servants is pressuring them. They are desperately trying to come up with a solution."

"Brainless scum. How dare they oppose the Supreme Being? Soon we will punish them for their blasphemy."


	16. Epilogue and Character Sheet

Deep inside a dark cave laid a giant creature. This being was one of the Dragon Lords, Fasreal Tun Aindoch, also known as the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord. He enjoyed staying hidden inside caves and disliked conflict. In fact, he disliked any form of activity. He was the epitome of laziness. Even if his life was targeted, he wouldn't attack the one threatening him, but would rather go away and look for a new cave. Then he would sleep for a few decades or a century and the threat was gone. Even as the Eight Kings of Greed slaughtered his kin, he didn't even think of participating. Right now, he was enjoying his sleep. At least he would if not for that noisy voice humming around his ears, like a mosquito in the night.

"..ease, wake u.. Lord Fasr... ou have to...urgent...emergency."

He tried to ignore it for several hours until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Yeah, yeah. I am awake. But please shut up. Your voice is terribly annoying. You better have a good reason to wake me up."

As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a tiny creature before him. Tiny for his standards at least. It was barely as big as his pinky finger. His true size was that of a grown man. Despite the total lack of light in this cave, Fasreal could see him very clear. It resembled a goblin, but was roughly twice the size. Its' species was called Hobgoblin. They were a superior species to goblins and was known for his human-like intelligence.

"I'm sorry Lord Aindoch. But an emergency meeting is about to happen. Your presence is required."

"Not so fast, yaaawn."

Fasreal stretched his enormous body and his shining white teeth were visible as he yawned extensively.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Almost five years."

"That barely counts as a nap. What could possibly so important."

"I don't know all the details. I was merely tasked to inform you. The council has been convoked. You have to attend."

"Don't bother me with such nuisance. I am sure my brothers are more than capable at handling whatever crisis is near. So far they have been fine without me."

The giant dragon was already turning around, ready to continue his most favorite activity, sleeping.

"But please, Lord Aindoch. It's really important. The Witchers are about to break the pact."

Like hit by lightning the dragon was now wide awake, staring in disbelief at the tiny messenger

"What?"

"The council chairman has been observing their fortress and noticed some disturbing activities."

Before the Hobgoblin could finish his sentence, the mighty dragon was already halfway out. Because the ceiling of the cave was too low, he couldn't fly. The way he was running was energetic, but rather inelegant. As soon as he reached the exit of his hideout, he stretched out his wings and left the ground.

"Please wait, Lord Aindoch. Don't leave me behind."

But it was too late. Deep Darkness Dragon Lord was already too far away. He had no time to spare. Right now, there was nothing else in his mind than the imminent danger. If the Witcher actually betrayed them, their days would be numbered. The threat would not only come from the outside, but also from the inside. Nobody could tell how the other Dragon Lords would react, if they were cornered. If the biggest secret of their race was discovered, they could not trust anybody, not even their own family. Until now, they held something akin to a cold war with their biggest enemies. The Slane Theocracy, the Elven Kingdom, rivaling Dragon Lords or the dangerous Demi-Human tribes in the south. All of them were very careful around them. They knew of the Dragon Lords's strength. But if this weakness was discovered, they would race to deal the first blow. For 500 years the Witchers have kept their knowledge secret. It has been long enough for most of the dragons to become too confident in the peace. Some might even have forgotten that a single word of this guild could spell doom for them. Fasreal flew faster than ever before. Right now, he was already passing the Azalea Mountain Range. In only half an hour he would be at the capital of the Argland Council State, Republica. For the first time in centuries several Dragon Lords would gather there to discuss this matter, it would also be the first time in centuries Fasreal met his brothers. He wondered if they changed during that time. Even for dragons, 500 years are quite a while. Before he noticed, the city already came in sight. Even though his last visit was a long time ago, he instantly located the giant courtyard, that was meant for the dragons to safely land and enter the city. After landing, several Demi-Humans hurried to him.

"Lord Aindoch, we are honored by your presence. I am sure your journey was long and tiring. Please eat and rest until the others arrive."

"Are the others not here yet?"

"Two are already here. Lord Tanusk and Lord Eroso are waiting in the high chamber."

The Demi-Human with the head of a bird was pointing at the biggest building in the city. The Argland Council State´s High chamber was meant for official gatherings and public discussions of the Council State´s government. It was a huge building with vast double doors at the entrance. Their size allowed dragons to enter the building without worrying to draw in their wings or heads. Two of Fasreal´s brothers were already inside. Taran Ordeal Eroso, also known as the Brightness Dragon Lord, was unique even among Dragon Lords. His magic allowed him to take on the form of a humanoid creature. He chose the appearance of a very attractive human man, with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair. The only thing that made him distinguishable from a human were the horns sprouting from his head. He even stayed in this form when meeting with others. He said it was for convenience, but Fasreal knew the truth. Taran liked to mingle with many different species. He charmed many women with his looks and magic to produce offspring. The royal family of the Draconic Kingdom was the result of one of his affairs. Taran had little to no interest in ruling over others. Like Fasreal he simply indulged into his passion. As much as Fasreal enjoyed sleeping, Taran enjoyed the company of women. The other one was Riolt Arst Tanusk. He was the only one of the Dragon Lords that constantly stayed in Republica. He was also named the Saphiric Dragon Lord, because his scales shimmered blue. He also had a rather unique personality. He basically never left the High chamber and was absorbed in his work. He ruled the Argland Council state as the council chairman, because all the others were absent. The only time he neglected his work was during meal time. Among the servants "Eating like a dragon" became a catchphrase for somebody very hungry. Riolt liked a good meal more than anything else. He often tasked his servants with finding new and rare ingredients and even hired chefs from far away nations to exclusively prepare his meal. Once in a while Fasreal would enjoy a good meal too, but as a dragon he could basically eat everything. There was no need for him to go out of his way to feast, as long as his belly was full and he could sleep in peace. Despite being brothers, they had very little in common. For Saphiric Dragon Lord to be here was not unusual, but Brightness Dragon Lord´s presence was quite surprising. He had no sense of duty and was generally carefree.

"Welcome brother. Glad you could make it here so fast. I guess you are aware of the urgency of our meeting?"

The dragon asked with a stern voice.

"Of course, how could I not? If what the messenger said is true, we have a big problem."

"As much as I would like to speed things up a bit, but wouldn't it be better to wait for the others to arrive?"

The only one in humanoid form seemed rather casual about this matter.

"I guess you are right. They should be here soon."

Over the next three hours, three more dragons arrived. Saessenthesis, known as the Crimson Dragon Lord, Villentretenmert, also known as the Golden Dragon Lord and Horaki Falter, the Emerald Dragon Lord. This huge, stadium-like room was filled with six (or rather 5 plus one human) dragons. This gathering could very well be described as the accumulation of the highest power in this world. They were eager to start, but had to wait for the last member of the council to arrive. Saessenthesis was growing impatient.

"How long do we have to wait? This coward is always late. If he isn't here soon, I will drag him here."

Saphiric Dragon Lord was trying to maintain the peace. That was not an easy task, as he knew his sister was always a little short fused and very much a hothead. She would occasionally destroy landscapes when she threw a tantrum.

"There is no need for rash actions. We all know why he can't leave this place easily."

"That is not fair."

This time Horaki interrupted the peace.

"How come he can stay there? I wanted to be the one to guard the treasures. I vote for a change in the honor of guarding the floating castle."

"That's not the reason we are here today."

Next it was Villentretenmert to speak up.

"You shouldn't lose your calm over such trivial matters. It doesn't befit a noble being such as a Dragon Lord to indulge in such childish quarrels. But it seems not all of us can remain such a dignified matter."

During his last sentence his view changed from Horaki to Saessenthesis. She was instantly furious.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking for a fight?"

"I am not looking for a fight, I am simply stating facts."

Fasreal sighed internally.

(I nearly forgot, why I dislike this kind of gatherings so much. They are all so annoying. I wish I could go back to sleep.)

As Saessenthesis was nearly about to jump at Villentretenmert´s throat, the doors to the chamber opened. In walked a human-sized figure clad in full-plate armor, surrounded by blades. This was Tsaindoruks Vaison, better known as the Platinum Dragon Lord. He wasn't here in person, but send his remote-controlled armor. He shared senses with this doll-like magical item and could experience everything like he was actual present.

"Welcome. Thank you for your fast advent. Please, let's all sit down and discuss why we all gathered here today. I assume you know what is going on?"

"Only what the messenger told me. Why do you think the Witchers are going to betray us?"

"As you might know, in my function as the representative of our council, I always kept a close eye on the actions in their fortress. For several hundred years nothing noteworthy happened. But around 200 years ago, the Slane Theocracy started to hunt the Witcher. In their eyes, they are abominations and an affront to their gods."

"As much as I hate to say it, but finally those fanatics are good for something. When they kill all the Witchers, our problem will be gone."

"We all thought the same. That's why we didn't intervene when their scriptures came that close to our border."

"So, what happened? Were the Witchers scared of being killed and offered their secret knowledge to plea for their lives?"

Some of the Dragon Lords laughed. They couldn't take them seriously. Surprisingly, it was Saessenthesis that stopped them.

"Don't underestimate them. Even if they are cornered and with the back to the wall, they would never lose their pride and dignity. Especially not to the likes of this god-loving lunatics."

"She is right. Even while facing death, the Witchers they killed haven´t lost a single word about us. The problem is, what happened after that. The Theocracy´s unit killed one of the two remaining Witchers and retreated. I honestly hoped, they would finish the young one too, but I was content with the result. However, the next day something weird happed. All of a sudden, my magic was unable to look into the whole area. At first, I thought it could be a natural phenomenon, given the nature of their collection of magic items, but it didn't pass. In lack of better options, I decided to use a more practical approach."

"What do you mean?"

"I send one of my minions to look into the matter. Don't look at me that shocked, I made sure he couldn't be detected, even by them. When he came back, he reported of his sightings. So far nothing unusual about the castle, but one thing was slightly different. He said a new flag was risen over the towers. He drew it for me."

Saphiric Dragon Lord placed a small piece of paper in the middle of the roam.

"Seems like the young Witcher has found a new lord. Is anyone of you familiar with this crest?"

Five of the seven Dragons present shook their heads. Only Tsa recognized the weird symbol in front of him.

"I know it. It's the crest of the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. I knew he was up to something, but he meeting with the Witchers is bad news."

"You mean the Witchers allied themselves with the Sorcerer Kingdom?"

"Are you sure? I heard stories about him, but I didn't know he was actually real."

Fasreal was puzzled over the sudden tumult.

"Who is the Sorcerer King?"

"Tsa, I know you keep an eye on that region, because of your friends. Would you please share your knowledge?"

"You probably haven't heard of him, because he has been very much hidden until recently. He first appeared little over two years ago in a small village of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Apparently, he saved the villagers from bandits. He is said to be a powerful magic caster that can even control high-level undead. Roughly one and a half years later he joined in the annual war between the kingdom and the empire at the empire´s side. His magic was able to destroy the entire army and killed nearly two-hundred thousand soldiers. His magic conjured horrible beast of absolute horror. According to survivors, these monsters were invulnerable and caused the earth to tremble while walking. One of my contacts told me, the Sorcerer King revealed himself to be an undead of unimaginable might. As soon as the war was over, he took control over one of the kingdom´s cities and founded his own nation. Following that event, he managed to further increase his influence. He traveled to the Dwarven Kingdom and liberated their capital that has been occupied by one of the Ice Dragons."

"I knew that whelp. He was far too arrogant for his own good."

"The leader of the pack was killed and the remaining ice dragons were forced to serve him. Following that day, the dwarves have been allies of the Sorcerer King. After that he traveled to the Holy Kingdom. This land was plagued by the invasion of Demi-humans, orchestrated by a powerful demon, named Jaldabaoth. He and the Sorcerer King clashed, but the details are a bit fuzzy. Fact is, the Sorcerer King became the savior of the Holy Kingdom and is almost worshiped by those he saved. In the process he also subjugated the Demi-human tribes and took control over the Abelion Hills."

"I can understand the dwarves, they work for everybody, as long as they get paid, but the holy Kingdom? They are nearly as fanatic as the Theocracy. For them to worship an undead is a huge deal."

"After I looked into all the available information, I came to the conclusion that Ainz Ooal Gown must be a player, on par with the Eight Kings of Greed."

That remark hit the others like a knife in the chest. They all remembered the horrors these creatures unleashed several centuries ago. They hunted dragons for what seemed like sports. They competed who could kill more. They ravished the land and destroyed nations just for their own amusement. If not for their infighting, they would probably have killed all the Dragon Lords. They were still suffering from the aftermaths of their rampage.

"You mean he is just as dangerous as them?"

"No."

For a moment everyone seemed relieved, until Tsaindoruks continued.

"I think he is much more dangerous. He isn't as reckless as they were. He is a very cautious and intelligent schemer. He plans every move he makes and doesn't take unnecessary risks. So far, he avoided a direct confrontation with powerful forces. He avoided not only us, but also the Slane Theocracy and the Elven Kingdom. He slowly builds up his power and strikes when his opponent let's his guard down. As an undead he can take things slowly. He has all the time he needs. I don't know for how long he has been planning all this. The fact that he appeared right after the Theocracy killed one of the Witchers further proofs my point. He has probably been waiting for this opportunity."

"What do you suggest?"

"In the last two years, there has been an appearing of numerous powerful creatures. The Sorcerer King, Jaldabaoth and I encountered a very strong vampire. We need to learn their relationship to each other. If possible, we should place them against each other. We must prepare to fight them, if the need should arise."

Almost everybody nodded in agreement.

"Please excuse my interruption."

The one who spoke was Fasreal.

"It may sound a little bit weird, but from what you said, couldn't it be said that the Sorcerer King is good guy?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Tsa said this, how was his name?"

"Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Yes, thank you. Well this Gown-guy saved innocent people on several occasions. The villagers, the Dwarven Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom. And even if he killed several thousand soldiers, he didn't indulge in meaningless massacre. All in all, he seems like a reasonable person."

"Are you saying we should ignore the danger he poses to us?"

"Not at all, I am just saying a less hostile approach would be better."

"Don't try to deny the fact that you are afraid. Don't think we have forgotten how you ran away with your tail between your legs five hundred years ago."

Saessenthesis yelled at him.

"The only possible solution is to grab the problem by the root and yank it out."

"Exactly. For the Witcher to know about this place is an insult towards us, but the possibility of a filthy undead to lay his hands on it is intolerable."

Golden voiced his disdain.

"I don't know. I tend to agree with Fasreal. Maybe we should try to negotiate first, before we anger him without reason. As you said, he kept his distance to us. That means either a) he is afraid of us or b) doesn't wish for a confrontation."

Brightness Dragon Lord said in for him an unusual analytic way.

"What about his connections to the Witchers? Our secret is no longer save."

The one disputing him was Saessenthesis.

"Have there been any suspicious activities at our secret place?"

"Nothing unusual happened."

Saphiric answered his question.

"There you have it. Even if the Witchers are allies of the Sorcerer King, that doesn't mean they broke their promise. Any hostile activities could force them to spill the beans. As far as we know, the pact is still intact."

"Do you want to wait till it's no longer intact?"

"Do you want to be the first one to break it?"

The both of them argued a bit back and forth, until Saphiric stopped them.

"Enough. This isn't leading anywhere productive. We should take a vote. Who is in favor of taking action against the Witcher and the Sorcerer Kingdom?"

Tsaindoruks, Saessenthesis, and Villentretenmert raised their hands.

"Who is voting for engaging in friendly negotiations?"

Fasreal, Horaki and Taran raised their hands.

"I for my part abstain. It's three to three. According to our agreement, a majority is necessary, to declare war. Therefore, we will stay passive until the situation changes."

Everybody was disappointed by the outcome. Partly, because the vote ended in a tie, but also, because everybody had his own motives he pursued. Fasreal and Taran didn't like fighting and would do everything in order to avoid it. Saessenthesis was the polar opposite. She enjoyed battling and killing. She also wanted to take revenge for what happened 500 years ago, but she would not disobey the council´s decisions. Riolt was very calm and analytic. He would often wage the positive and negative consequences to a tiring extend. His vote was often undecided. Tsa was very worried. He feared the Sorcerer King because of his might and ruthlessness. His power and influence were growing every day. He was also worried for his friends´s safety. Rigrit was about to reach Kaer Morhen, because she was looking for information on Tsa´s behalf. Villentretenmert was simply annoyed by Ainz. He often proclaimed to kill all the Witchers. His ego was hurt very badly by the fact outsiders knew about their secret. Lastly, Horaki had a big interest in the development of the situation. He knew he stood no chance in the aggression faction. Both Tsa and Villentretenmert both outranked him in authority and power. In the peaceful faction on the other hand were only Taran and Fasreal. Both of them were uninterested in leadership and influence. If he played his cards right, he could gain influence and authority over the others. If he managed to solve this matter peacefully, or even sway Ainz to his side, he could become the ruler himself. He envied Riolt for his position of chairman for a long time and wanted to get rid of Platinum for similar reasons. He has been waiting for a chance like this and wouldn't let it pass.

Character Sheet

Name: Geralt

Epithet: The White Wolf

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Race: Human (former)

Mutant (Mutated with genes of Vampires, Elves, Trolls and other unknown species)

Affiliation: Sorcerer Kingdom

Leader of the Witcher Guild (New branch of the Sorcerer Kingdoms Adventurer Guild)

Family: Vesemir (Adopted and educated)

Occupation: Instructor for adventurers

Residence: Kaer Morhen

Birthday: Middle Fire Month (day unknown)

Hobby: Fishing

Job Levels: Fighter 8

Swords master 7

Ranger7

Etc.4

Race Levels: Mutant 8

Item Description

Aerondight:

A unique magical weapon that grows in strength, the higher the wielders level is. It was given to the first Witcher by the mysterious "Lady of the Lake", as a token of her gratitude after saving one of her believers. The maximum strength is unknown, since no Witcher ever reached the level cap while using it. It has a restriction, that would normally only allow the first Witcher that was given the sword, to use it. However, since part of his blood has been used to create the mutating transfusion, all Witchers share a few genes with him. That seems to be enough to allow all Witchers to equip that weapon. It is made of a so far unknown magical metal that emits a pale blue light. Engraved on the body of the sword are the words "No lesser Evil" in the old language.

Xenogloss:

A pair of magical boxes that allow the users to communicate over any distance. No matter how far away, the transmission is always flawless and can´t be intercepted, but it only works between 2 previously synchronized boxes.

Bombs:

Over several centuries the Witchers developed several alchemical mixtures. They can be stored in small, ball-shaped bottles the size of a fist. When the bottle is cracked, they release their effects. Spread a poisonous gas cloud, cause freezing damage or disperse enchanted silver particles.

Oils:

The Witchers developed different weapon oils. When a weapon is treated with this oil, the damage dealt to certain creatures is temporarily increased by 10%. The oils are fundamentally different from poison, so their effect is not decreased by poison immunity/resistance. They have oils for Vampires, Humanoids, Draconites and general beast-like creatures (Most Demi-Humans are in this category).

Potions:

Witcher potions make up for their toxicity by vastly increased effects. They only work, because Witchers can withstand high doses of poison thanks to their high poison resistance. The side-effects however, can take a huge toll on their bodies. A normal human would die immediately after one drop of it. There are potions to increase the health regeneration, grant big bonuses on strength and speed and lastly one for neutralizing the potions effects and reducing the side-effects.

Witcher Signs

With the mutation the Witcher gained the ability to use wild magic. They use different hand signs to cast 5 spells in total. The amount of energy used to cast can be adjusted to fit the current task.

Aard:

Causes a shock wave. Depending on the amount of energy used, the strength of the spell ranges from a heavy punch to the impact of a raging bull.

Axii:

A mind affecting spell. It can cause slight confusion, or, if the target is very weak-minded, a dominating effect.

Igni:

A fire spell. Its strength can be sparks with minimal effort, or with greater effort, rival that of a regular Tier 3 "Fireball"

Yrden:

Causes a "Slow" debuff or a total immobilization when the targets resistance is low and/or the level difference is high.

Quen:

Can prevent negative status effects, but only lasts 10 seconds at most. So, it must be timed precisely with the enemy´s attacks. Therefore, it is useless against surprise attacks.


End file.
